Heavy rains, strong winds lash city as citizens gear up for monsoon

A family of four tries to reach home early as heavy rains and winds lash the city. Pic/Suresh Karkera

On June 12, 2019, Mumbaikars were greeted by heavy rains and strong winds in the afternoon as Cyclone Vayu was all set to make landfall on the Gujarat coast in the early hours of June 13. Strong winds accompanied by heavy rains swept across the city as citizens were caught unprepared. Some parts of the city such as Thane, Vashi, BKC, etc. witnessed light rains with very strong winds.

As per the latest updates by IMD, Cyclone Vayu is at present about 290 km WSW of Mumbai and will move northwards. Thus, in the wake of cyclone Vayu making landfall, the city of Mumbai will continue to witness light to heavy rains today with winds gusting up to 70-80 kmph.

Among the suburbs, Vashi witnessed good rains in the afternoon which were accompanied by a thunderstorm. According to Skymet weather, more part of Mumbai should expect rains as Cyclone Vayu is on abeam Mumbai right now. Besides Vashi, areas such as Mulund, Powai and Bandra have also witnessed rains along with neighboring areas of the city like Thane as well.

A Mumbai police constable tries to fix a huge umbrella in order to save himself from heavy rains. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rains at isolated places across the city for Wednesday. However, it is unlikely to be a continuous downpour that Mumbai is known to witness during peak monsoon season. As per IMD's latest reports, in Goa and Maharashtra coast, fishermen's are advised not to venture into the sea. Those, who are out in deep sea areas are also advised to return to the coast.

The metal sheet of the Bandra skywalk that fell on commuters who were travelling via SV road near Bandra Talao. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Due to heavy rains and strong winds taking the city by surprise, two incidents were reported from across the city where one was killed and three others were injured due to monsoon mishaps. In the quaint suburbs of Bandra, the metal sheet of a skywalk fell down near Bandra Talav on S V Road, Bandra, injuring three people in the process. The three injured were stable and undergoing treatment at Holy Family Hospital in Bandra West.

Pic courtesy/Atul Kamble

In another incident, a pedestrian was killed on Wednesday afternoon after a portion of a cladding fell on him at the bustling Churchgate railway station. The deceased, Madhukar Appa Narvekar (62) was passing through Churchgate station building when the portion, part of the 81 ft x 54 ft mural of Mahatma Gandhi, fell on him. Narvekar was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to injuries on his head and chest.

On the other hand, in the wake of cyclone Vayu heading towards Gujarat state, Mumbai Police on Twitter alerted residents of Mumbai about the extreme climatic changes due to Cyclone Vayu heading towards Gujarat coast. According to the Mumbai Police, the city will witness heavy winds and showers hence they warned people to avoid venturing into the sea or near beaches. They advised people to stay away from the shoreline and avoid parking their vehicles under trees to avoid damages.

Apart from the Mumbai police, the city civic body's Disaster Management Department has also issued a warning for the citizens of the city to stay safe and avoid shoreline areas.

Here's how Mumbaikars battled heavy rains and strong winds during the day time:

A mother and her children try to get hold of a cab in order to save themselves from heavy spells of rains. Pic/Suresh Karkera

A young couple tries to hold on to each other as they were taken by surprise by the heavy showers during the day. Pic/Suresh Karkera

A commuter shields her bag as she battles heavy rains on her way home. Pic/Suresh Karkera

A senior citizen waits for a bus at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus bus stop in Fort, Mumbai. Pic/Atul Kamble

A woman tries to get hold of her bag as a passerby motorist comes to her aid. Pic/Ashish Raje

An elderly man attempts to save himself from heavy rains as she holds the umbrella in one hand and his stick in another. Pic/Ashish Raje

See Photos: Mumbai Rains: City welcomes first heavy showers of monsoon

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