Mumbai monsoon: City to witness heavy rains today, IMD issues red alert

Youngsters play football in the heavy rain at Dadar Chowpatty, on Thursday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Rain continued to lash the city and suburbs, leading to continued waterlogging and traffic jams at several places with stray incidents of monsoon-related failures. As rainfall activity enhances, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai has issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar for Friday. Red alert has also been issued for Friday and Saturday in Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Satara. As per civic officials, in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday, the Santacruz weather observatory recorded 125 mm rain while Colaba reported 111 mm rain.

The city has so far received almost 50 per cent of the total rainfall of the season this year. Santacruz observatory, representative of the suburbs, recorded 1,051 mm rainfall until Wednesday while Colaba, which represents the island city, recorded 953 mm rainfall. The city receives an average of 2,260 mm of rainfall yearly.

Also read: Maharashtra rains: Man found dead in swollen drain in Palghar

Youngsters at Dadar Chowpatty on Thursday. Pic/Atul Kamble

"Monsoon remained widespread and vigorous over the coastal belt of North Konkan with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls over the region. Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra also received heavy to very rainfall with extremely heavy falls at isolated places," said Jayanta Sarkar, scientist and head of IMD Mumbai.

He added, "Enhanced rainfall activity over the entire Konkan belt and adjoining ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra is expected to continue during the next four to five days. Widespread rainfall activity with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall is expected over the region during the above period. Parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha are also very likely to receive widespread rainfall activity."

The city also witnessed a dip in mercury with the maximum temperatures at 27.7 degrees Celsius and 27.4 degrees celsius, as recorded by the Santacruz observatory and Colaba observatory, respectively.

Beaches only in mornings

In the wake of the heavy rainfall, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to keep the beaches open only for morning walks between 6 and 10 am.

Commuters were forced to walk on the tracks at Diva on Thursday. Pic/Satej Shinde

"During monsoon, seven people died due to drowning," said a BMC official.

"Because of the drowning incidents this year on various beaches in Mumbai we took this decision," civic chief I S Chahal said on Thursday. .

As the IMD has issued a red alert for Friday and an orange alert for the next four days, the beaches will be closed to the general public this weekend. According to the IMD protocol, orange and red alerts mean chances of heavy to extreme rainfall.

The civic chief has also instructed all departments concerned and the police to ensure compliance with these orders.

Fire in Powai mall

A fire broke out at a supermarket in Powai on Thursday morning. No one was injured.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade said it declared the blaze, which started around 6.15 am at Haiko Supermarket in the Hiranandani area, as Level 2.

Eight fire engines and five water tankers were sent to the site and the fire was doused at 1.15 pm.

1,051 mm
Total rainfall recorded at Santacruz till Wednesday

2,260 mm
Average rainfall that the city receives annually