Mumbai rains: BMC shares high tide timings, ‘extremely heavy rain very likely’

Mumbai, along with Thane and Pune, has been reeling under heavy rainfall for the last three days.

With very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall forecast for Mumbai and its suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday shared the high-tide timings, warning that waves could rise as high as 3.75 metres. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already issued a red alert for the city.

Mumbai rains: Commuters wade through a waterlogged road in Dadar TT area (PTI)

Mumbai and nearby areas, including Thane, have been battered by relentless downpours over the past three days, leaving several localities waterlogged, with some reporting knee-deep flooding. Follow Mumbai rain latest updates here

Sharing high tide timings, BMC said on social media platform X that occasional gusty winds reaching 45-55 kmph are also expected.

High tide in Mumbai today

9:16 am - 3.75 metres

8:53 PM - 3.14 metres

Low tide in Mumbai today

3:16 pm - 2.22 metres

3:11 AM (August 20) - 1.05 metres

High tide in Mumbai on Aug 20

9:16 am – 3.75 metres

8:53 pm – 3.14 metres

Low tide on Aug 20

3:11 am (August 21) – 1.05 metres

The unrelenting rain has led to the closure of schools and government offices in Mumbai while private establishments have been asked to allow work-from-home (WFH) to employees.

In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Tuesday, the island city, eastern and western suburbs recorded an average rainfall of 186.43 mm, 208.78 mm and 238.19 mm, respectively, an official said, according to news agency PTI.

In the forecast for Tuesday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted "very heavy to extremely heavy" rainfall in the city and suburbs of Mumbai with occasional gusty winds reaching 45-55 kmph.

A weather station at Santacruz on the western side of Mumbai recorded 238.2 millimeters (9.4 inches) of precipitation in the 24 hours through to 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the bureau. That’s the highest one-day volume for August since 2020, according to data from the agency.

Mumbai is highly vulnerable to flooding during the monsoon due to its coastal location, high population density, and strained urban infrastructure. Past downpours, such as the catastrophic floods in 2005 that killed more than 400 people, have shown how quickly the city’s transport, financial, and residential hubs can grind to a halt when rains overwhelm drainage systems.