Mumbai rains: Torrential downpour catches city unawares, red alert issued, public schools shut on Thursday

The heavy rainfall led to widespread water-logging, severe disruptions in train services, road and air traffic, prompting officials to take emergency measures

Mumbai: The city was caught unawares on Wednesday as a torrential downpour hit the city at the tail end of the monsoon season. The unexpected heavy rainfall led to widespread water-logging, severe disruptions in train services, road and air traffic, prompting authorities to issue urgent warnings and take emergency measures. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert till 8.30am on Thursday and the city administration declared a holiday for all public schools in the city.

The unexpected heavy rainfall led to widespread water-logging(Raju Shinde)

The red alert issued by IMD was the highest-level warning and indicated the potential for extremely heavy rainfall and dangerous conditions. The IMD's nowcast warning, issued at 7pm, predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph in isolated places across Mumbai and neighbouring districts overnight.

As the city grappled with the deluge, several areas reported significant water-logging. The Eastern suburbs seemed to be particularly affected, with Mankhurd Fire Station recording 41mm of rainfall. Other severely impacted areas included Turbhe Municipal School (38mm), Maravali Municipal School (37mm), and various locations in Chembur and Ghatkopar.

The Island City also recorded substantial rainfall, with city officials reporting 40mm at the Municipal Head Office, Colaba Pumping Station registering 37mm. Western suburbs reported lighter rain comparatively, but the situation remained dynamic.

The heavy rainfall threw the city's transport systems into disarray. Suburban local trains, the lifeline of Mumbai, were running significantly behind schedule on the Central Railway (CR) line, with delays of up to an hour reported. Announcements at stations indicated that trains would not be halting at Nahur, Kanjurmarg, and Vidyavihar due to waterlogged tracks at Kurla, Bhandup, and Vikhroli.

The Western Railway began cancelling trains, leading to overcrowding at major stations like Churchgate. This disruption caused a ripple effect across the city's commuter network.

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport also faced challenges due to the adverse weather. An IndiGo flight was forced to perform a go-around at 8:04 pm due to wind shear and subsequently diverted to Ahmedabad. By 8:09 pm, the airport had reported seven go-arounds and two diversions. Several incoming flights experienced delays, which had a cascading effect on departures.

In response to the red alert, city officials sprang into action. All Assistant Commissioners (ACs) were instructed to ensure that one Executive Engineer from each ward remained in the ward control room. The Chief Engineer of the Storm Water Drainage department was tasked with ensuring that dewatering pumps were operational and staff were on the field.

As a precautionary measure, a school holiday was declared for all public schools in the city and suburbs for the next day. Residents were advised to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and to follow updates from local authorities.