Mumbai rains: Deluge brings city to standstill, over 300mm rainfall in six hours causes havoc (WATCH)

Mumbai on Monday (July 8)) faced unprecedented chaos as a torrential downpour measuring over 300 millimetres inundated the city within a span of just six hours, from 1 am to 7 am. The deluge wreaked havoc across low-lying areas, crippling transportation networks, and prompting authorities to shut down schools and colleges.

The intense rainfall led to severe waterlogging, severely disrupting traffic flow at critical junctures including the south-bound elevated airport road, King Circle Matunga, Kurla depot, Dadar TT, Hindmata junction, Ram Nagar Subway (Vakola), Andheri Sunway SV Road, and Sakkar Chowk-Wadala.

Severe rainfall grips Mumbai: Train services suspended, roads flooded (WATCH)

While mainline train services continued operations, the heavy rains and waterlogging between Bhandup and Nahur necessitated the imposition of clamping and padlocking measures, which were resolved by 6:45 am. Harbour line services, however, managed to maintain normal operations.

Railway authorities swiftly deployed high-capacity water pumps to drain flooded tracks and closely monitored the situation to ensure Mumbai's lifeline—the suburban train network—remained functional. Delays of up to 10 minutes were reported on suburban routes due to water levels rising above track levels between Matunga Road and Dadar, with at least five train cancellations.

On the fast line, mainline services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Thane were temporarily suspended due to waterlogging, while Harbour line services paused at Chunnabhati.

The adverse weather conditions left several politicians, including Minister Anil Patil, stranded aboard a train near Kurla. Patil and lawmaker Amol Mitkari were compelled to disembark and navigate to the nearest road on foot.

Sushma Nair, a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, attributed the torrential rainfall to an offshore trough stretching from Gujarat to north Kerala, which intensified along the north Konkan coast around midnight.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 170 millimetres of rainfall between 2:30 am and 5:30 am at the Santacruz observatory, Mumbai's primary weather station. Over the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Monday, Santacruz recorded 268 millimetres, while Colaba registered 84 millimetres.

Thane received 119 millimetres, with localized areas experiencing over 150 millimetres.

IMD forecasts predicted ongoing heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai, coinciding with a high tide expected to reach 4.40 metres at 1:57 pm.

Opposition leader Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress criticized the civic authorities for inadequate maintenance of drainage systems and said, "Lack of effective nullah cleaning and absence of preventive measures have compounded the hardship for residents. The absence of elected representatives in the civic body has exacerbated the situation."

In response, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed all agencies to expedite relief efforts, acknowledging that the unprecedented volume of rain in such a short period had precipitated the crisis. He expressed optimism in swiftly alleviating the plight of Mumbai's residents.

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