Incessant Rainfall Disrupts Mumbai, Residents Urged To ‘Stay Indoors’ | Top Updates

Mumbai continued to witness heavy spell of rainfall leaving the city in inundating state causing waterlogging and traffic snarls across the metropolitan and its suburbs. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a nowcast warning at 7 am today, predicting moderate showers likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Palghar, Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri, Mumbai, and the ghat areas of Pune and Satara during the next 3-4 hours.

The IMD has has issued an orange alert for Mumbai for July 26 and a yellow alert for July 27. While, a red alert has been issued for Navi Mumbai on Friday. On Thursday, the weather department issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas till Friday morning.

Here are the top Updates:

-The city recorded 81 mm of average rainfall in the last 24 hours. (8am Thursday – 8am Friday), while the city’s eastern and western suburbs recorded 80mm and 92mm of average rainfall in the same duration, according to BMC.

-According to officials, several areas of Mumbai received over 100 mm of rainfall between 4 am and 1 pm on Thursday. Malpa Dongri in Andheri recorded the highest rainfall with 157 mm, followed by Paspoli in Powai with 155 mm, and Dindoshi with 154 mm.

-The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a nowcast warning at 7 AM today, predicting moderate spells of rain likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Palghar, Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri, Mumbai, and the ghat areas of Pune and Satara during the next 3-4 hours.

-According to BMC, Moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Mumbai and its suburbs today with occasional gusty winds likely reaching 50-60 kmph. The BMC has also predicted high tide in the Arabian Sea reaching 4.46 meter at 3:32 pm today.

-The IMD has issued an orange alert for Mumbai for July 26 and a yellow alert for July 27. While, a red alert has been issued for Navi Mumbai on Friday. On Thursday, the weather department issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas till Friday morning.

-The BMC in a latest post announced that the schools and colleges would be opened today on a regular basis. It also urged the citizens to stay in touch of the management of the respective institutions for updates. The civic body had declared a holiday on Thursday in wake of the intense showers. Meanwhile, the Raigad administration has ordered the closure of schools and colleges in the district on Friday in the wake of a heavy rainfall alert.

-Mumbai’s Powai Lake has reached full capacity following continuous heavy rainfall in the region over the past few days. The heavy downpour has increased the water levels, causing the lake to overflow. Four rivers in Maharashtra, including the Kundalika and Amba, are above safe levels and are endangering nearby villages. The Mithi River near Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport is only a meter below the danger mark.

-With the lakes supplying water to the city filling up fast, the BMC on Thursday announced the withdrawal of the 10 percent water cut from July 29.

-Runway operations at Mumbai airport were halted twice on Thursday due to visibility dropping to 300 meters. Airlines advised passengers to arrive early, anticipating traffic congestion and water-logging in parts of the city. The first suspension was from 08:32 hrs to 08:43 hrs, lasting 11 minutes, followed by a second suspension from 10:36 hrs to 10:55 hrs, lasting 19 minutes. As many as 11 flights were cancelled, and ten were diverted to nearby airports as heavy rains continued to batter Mumbai.

-At least 15 people were killed in rain-related incidents across Maharashtra as heavy rains wreaked havoc in Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and nearby regions over the past 24 hours, officials told news agency IANS on Thursday. In Pune city, three people died from electrocution, while three others are feared dead in lavish villas following a hillslide in Lavasa city, Mulshi. Another person was killed in a landslide in Maval, Pune district; and a man drowned in Raigad. In Mumbai, a man lost his life in a fire caused by a short-circuit. Additionally, a man died in a landslide, three were killed by lightning strikes in Chandrapur, and two drowned in Barvi dam, Thane.