Torrential overnight rains disrupt Mumbai, surrounding areas, schools, colleges shut

The Santacruz observatory, which serves as the city's baseline weather station, recorded 68.1 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, Colaba observatory showed 62.5 mm

Mumbai: Heavy and persistent rainfall accompanied by winds reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour caused widespread disruption across Mumbai and its surrounding regions overnight. The deluge resulted in waterlogging, train delays, uprooted trees and an overflowing lake.

Singhad Road in Pune's Vitthal Nagar was one of the worst hit. HT Photo(Satish Bate)

Authorities have declared a holiday for the afternoon session of all schools and colleges up to class 12 in Thane, Palghar, and Raigad districts. The University of Mumbai has postponed all examinations scheduled for Thursday, but only in the Warli tehsil of Raigad district. Pooja Roudale, Director of the Examination and Evaluation Board, stated, "The revised dates of all these exams will be announced soon."

According to the India Meteorological Department, in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am Thursday, the Santacruz observatory, which serves as the city's baseline weather station, recorded 68.1 mm of rain. The Colaba observatory registered 62.5 mm during the same period. Thane, a neighbouring district, received a substantial 120.4 mm of rainfall.

Automatic weather stations operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported an average rainfall of 99 mm in the eastern suburbs for the 24 hours ending at 8 am, followed by 89 mm in the western suburbs and 44 mm in the island city.

Interior parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) experienced even heavier rainfall, with Ulhasnagar receiving 136 mm, Murbad 228 mm, Bhiwandi 110 mm, and Kalyan 114 mm during the same period.

The downpour caused delays of up to 20 minutes for trains on the Central Railway. Waterlogging was reported in several areas, including the Bhandup pumping station, Vikhroli, and near King Circle. At approximately 6 am, a tree was uprooted at Kalanagar near Matoshree Bungalow in Bandra East, leading to the diversion of BEST buses for about an hour.

Vihar Lake, one of Mumbai's fresh water sources, began overflowing at 3.50 am. It is the third of the city's five lakes to overflow, following Tansa Lake on Tuesday and Tulsi Lake on Saturday. The fourth, Modaksagar Lake, is expected to overflow within hours.