Heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning severely disrupted operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, leading to eight flight diversions between 9 am and 9.50 am, officials said. On average, departures and arrivals were delayed by about 45 minutes.
According to flight tracking portal Flightradar, 155 departing flights from the airport were delayed on Tuesday, while 102 inbound services also ran behind schedule.
The downpour also brought much of the city to a standstill. Several low-lying areas were inundated, slowing vehicular traffic and causing delays of local trains, further inconveniencing commuters across Mumbai and adjoining districts.
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IndiGo issued a travel advisory on Tuesday morning, alerting passengers to possible flight delays and waterlogged routes to the airport. The airline tweeted, “With Mumbai drenched in heavy showers, several routes to the airport are witnessing waterlogging and sluggish traffic. This has, in turn, led to operational challenges, with delays in both departures and arrivals and we truly regret the inconvenience this may cause. If you’re scheduled to travel, we recommend leaving a little earlier and keeping an eye on your flight status via our app or website.”
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced that government and semi-government offices would remain closed and urged private organisations to allow employees to work from home and avoid non-essential travel.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced that government and semi-government offices would remain closed and urged private organisations to allow employees to work from home and avoid non-essential travel.
{{/usCountry}}Schools and colleges also remained closed as the IMD issued a 'red alert', forecasting extremely heavy showers in Mumbai and neighbouring districts on Tuesday. Mumbai Police appealed to residents to step out only if necessary and requested private offices to facilitate work from home.
Over the past 24 hours, several parts of the city recorded rainfall exceeding 200 mm, with Vikhroli in the eastern suburbs registering the highest at 255.5 mm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Additionally, the IMD Mumbai issued a nowcast warning at 10.15 am, valid for the next three hours. The red alert cautioned of severe weather, with heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds of 40–50 km/h, occasionally reaching up to 60 km/h. The warning covers Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and the Ghats of Pune.