‘Red’ alert in Mumbai as heavy rains wreak havoc, disrupting flight, train services; traffic hit due to waterlogging

MUMBAI, MAY 26 : As heavy rains and thunderstorms wreaked havoc in different parts of Maharashtra, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai and neighbouring districts of Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri, predicting “extremely heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places.”

The IMD had earlier issued an orange alert for Mumbai and the neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts, which has now been upgraded to red alert, which will remain in place till Tuesday morning.

A few hours of intense rainfall on Monday morning led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas of Mumbai and inundated railway tracks, disrupting road traffic and slowing suburban train services during rush hour, officials said.

The IMD had issued a “Nowcast” warning forecasting thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 50–60 kmph at isolated places. This is the earliest arrival of monsoon in Mumbai in 75 years. The normal date for monsoon’s arrival in Mumbai is June 11.

“Southwest monsoon made its onset over Mumbai on May 26. This is the earliest onset in the last 75 years,” IMD scientist Sushma Nair said.

The island city was hit hardest, with areas like Dadar, Mahim, Parel, Bandra, Kalachowki and Chinchpokli receiving heavy rain.

Railway tracks on the Central Railway network were waterlogged at Masjid, Byculla, Dadar, Matunga and Badlapur stations. “The movement of suburban locals is on, but with reduced speed at a few locations,” said Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway. A spokesperson added that trains were delayed by eight to ten minutes due to low visibility and water on the tracks.

On the Western Railway corridor, officials said services were running normally, though commuters reported delays on social media.

Heavy showers are also impacting flight operations. Reports say that over 250 flights have been affected.

Vehicular traffic was affected in several parts of the city due to waterlogging and reduced visibility. Low-lying areas such as King’s Circle, Mantralaya, Dadar TT East, Parel TT, Kalachowki and Dadar station were among the worst-hit.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the highest rainfall was recorded at the Nariman Point fire station (104 mm), followed by the A Ward Office (86 mm), Colaba pumping station (83 mm), and the Municipal Head Office (80 mm). Overall, the island city received an average of 58 mm of rain in 24 hours ending at 8 am, compared to 19 mm in the eastern suburbs and 15 mm in the western suburbs.

The intensity of the rain reduced around 10 am, though skies remained overcast. The IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall for the next 24 hours with a generally cloudy sky and the possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds (30–40 kmph) at isolated locations.

High tides of 4.75 metres and 4.17 metres are expected at 11.24 am and 11.09 pm respectively, while low tides of 1.63 metres and 0.04 metres are likely at 5.18 pm Monday and 5.21 am Tuesday, the BMC said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the situation in Thane district and other rain-affected areas, holding discussions with disaster management officials to assess preparedness and response measures.

He directed the administration to ensure timely and effective steps to minimise disruption to public life and prevent any loss of life or property due to the heavy rainfall. Shinde also instructed the disaster response machinery to remain on high alert and ensure swift deployment of relief and rescue operations wherever needed. Special focus, he said, must be given to monitoring flood-prone roads, bridges, and power lines.

Operations on Mumbai Metro Line 3 between Acharya Atre Chowk and Worli were suspended on Monday after heavy rains led to waterlogging at an underground station, officials said.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) halted services following reports of flooding at the under-construction Acharya Atre Chowk station, raising concerns about the construction quality and monsoon preparedness along the 33-km Colaba-BKC-Aarey JVLR corridor.

In a statement, the MMRC said, “Due to the sudden and intense rainfall today, water seepage was reported at the under-construction entry/exit structure of Acharya Atre Chowk station along Dr Annie Besant Road. The incident occurred when the RCC water-retaining wall collapsed due to sudden water ingress from an adjoining utility.”

As a precautionary measure, train services between Worli and Acharya Atre Chowk were suspended to ensure passenger safety, the agency added. However, services between Aarey JVLR and Worli remained unaffected and continued as usual.

Videos circulating online showed extensive waterlogging inside the station premises, including the platform and ticketing areas. One clip showed water leaking near escalators, a collapsed false ceiling, and scattered machinery.

The MMRC had recently extended underground services on Line 3 up to Acharya Atre Chowk on May 9. Metro Line 3 is the city’s first fully underground metro corridor and is being developed in phases.

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has cautioned farmers against rushing into sowing activities, warning that the early onset of the monsoon may not be sustained. He noted that the monsoon arrived about ten days early in southern Konkan and is likely to continue only till May 27. Farmers should remain alert and wait for more consistent rainfall before beginning sowing, he advised.

The southwest monsoon made an early entry into Maharashtra on Sunday, marking the earliest onset over the state in 35 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The monsoon is expected to advance to Mumbai and other regions within the next three days.

“Conditions are favourable for further advance into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Karnataka including Bengaluru, some parts of Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, more parts of west-central and north Bay of Bengal, and some more parts of northeastern states during the next three days,” the IMD said in a statement.

The monsoon had reached Kerala on Saturday, nearly a week ahead of its normal onset date of June 1.

-PTI