Mumbai, Aug 18 (PTI) – The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'red alert' for Mumbai and its neighboring regions, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall at isolated spots on Monday. In response, the city's civic body declared a holiday for all schools and colleges, according to officials.
A spokesperson from Mumbai airport reported that nine flights had to execute "go arounds" before landing safely, and one flight was diverted to Surat, Gujarat, due to the persistent heavy rain until midday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has advised residents to venture out only if absolutely necessary, while the IMD has warned fishermen against going out to sea.
Several areas in Mumbai experienced waterlogging as the city was inundated by rain for the third consecutive day. Officials cited a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, along with cyclonic circulations, as the reason for this heavy rainfall.
Water accumulation was noted in certain low-lying areas such as Andheri Subway and Lokhandwala Complex, causing disruptions in traffic flow.
Local trains, which are vital for daily commuters, were delayed by 8 to 10 minutes but were not halted, as reported by officials.
On the Central Railway route, suburban services were affected due to water on the tracks in certain low-lying areas on the Harbour Line and a malfunction in track-changing points between Kurla and Tilak Nagar stations.
Visibility issues and slowed vehicular movement were experienced due to the heavy rains, motorists reported.
Bus routes managed by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) were not rerouted, officials confirmed.
The IMD extended the red alert to include Thane and Raigad districts, with predictions of heavy to very heavy rain at scattered spots and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations on Monday and Tuesday.
Ratnagiri district was also issued a red alert for Monday, while Sindhudurg received an orange alert for both Monday and Tuesday.
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani announced that all educational institutions would close for the afternoon as a precaution for students' safety in light of the continued downpour since morning.
The civic body urged residents to contact its disaster control helpline, 1916, for emergencies or updates.
"A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and an east-west shear zone's formation, in conjunction with cyclonic circulation, have led to heavy rainfall along Maharashtra's coastal regions, including Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri districts. The IMD has issued red alerts for these areas for today and tomorrow," reported Shubhangi Bhute, head of the IMD's Mumbai Regional Meteorological Centre.
"Warnings have also been issued to fishermen against going to sea, and a red alert has been issued for Palghar district for Tuesday," she added.
Heavy rains have been drenching Mumbai since Saturday.
After a night of heavy rain, its intensity increased further from 9 am on Monday, according to a civic official.
The island city, eastern, and western suburbs recorded respective rainfalls of 37 mm, 39 mm, and 29 mm over just one hour after 9 am.
The eastern suburb of Chembur received the most rain, recording 65 mm, followed by 50 mm in Shivaji Nagar in the one-hour span, according to the official.
In the 24 hours leading up to 8 am on Monday, the island city saw an average of 54.58 mm rain, with the eastern and western suburbs recording 72.61 mm and 65.86 mm, respectively.
Officials reported several areas received over 100 mm of rain during this period.
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