Mumbai Rains: Local Trains Affected, Flights Disrupted As City Put On Red Alert, 3 Dead In Thane

Mumbai Rains: Heavy rains in Mumbai caused flight disruptions and waterlogging in low-lying areas. Two flights were diverted, and seven had to go around at the airport.

Mumbai Rains: Several parts of Mumbai were lashed by heavy rains, disrupting air travel and causing waterlogging in low-lying areas of the city. According to officials, two flights were diverted and seven others had to make go-arounds at Mumbai airport due to the inclement weather.

Three people were killed in separate lightning strikes in Thane district within 24 hours on Wednesday, officials reported. The incidents occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Shirgaon, Murbad Taluka, and near Kalyan. According to a district disaster control officer, "A lightning strike on a house in Shirgaon resulted in the death of 42-year-old Parshu Pawar." In Kalyan Taluka’s Khamba area, a man and a woman working in a quarry were also fatally struck by lightning. The police have registered a case of accidental death.

According to news agency PTI, an airport official confirmed that two flights were diverted from Mumbai Airport on Wednesday due to inclement weather, and seven other flights had to make a go-around before receiving clearance to land. IndiGo flight 6E1052 initially attempted a go-around but was eventually diverted to Ahmedabad.

A civic official told PTI, "It has been raining in many parts of the city since the afternoon," with Mulund and its surrounding areas experiencing the heaviest downpours. Waterlogging was reported in several low-lying areas, affecting road traffic and causing delays in Mumbai's suburban train services, considered the city's lifeline.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded its orange alert for Mumbai and neighbouring districts to a red alert, which remains in effect until 8:30 am on Thursday. IMD has also issued a red alert for Palghar and orange alerts for Thane, Raigad, Mumbai, and Pune districts for 26th September. Nashik and Dhule districts are under an orange alert for the same period.

Heavy showers returned to Mumbai after a prolonged break, flooding low-lying areas and causing significant traffic disruptions. Local train services were severely affected, particularly between Kurla and Thane, where passengers were stranded due to waterlogging. Road traffic slowed down across several parts of the city, with visibility worsened by waterlogged streets.

Despite heavy rainfall in the city, local trains on Western Railway's Mumbai Suburban network are running normally, Western Railway informed on X.

Mumbai Rains: Police Advise Residents To Stay Indoors, Schools And Colleges Shut

Mumbai Police in a post advised all residents to stay indoors, " IMD has issued a warning of heavy rain with thunder and lightning in Mumbai and suburbs till 26th September morning. Requesting all Mumbaikars to stay indoors, until essential. Please stay safe. #Dial100 in case of any emergencies."

A holiday has been declared for all schools and colleges in view of the red alert, another post informed.

Several suburbs, including Mulund, experienced the heaviest rainfall, inundating key areas. Water-logging was reported from various parts of Mumbai, including Kurla, Chembur, Vikhroli, and Breach Candy. NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule streamed a Facebook live session showing the submerged roads in the Breach Candy area, even offering a stranded person a lift.

The rains caused significant delays in local and express train services, particularly between Kurla and Thane, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. "Kurla railway track was submerged due to heavy rainfall, forcing trains to stop between Thane and Mumbai," a commuter stated, as quoted by PTI.

In response to the heavy rainfall and the red alert, Mumbai's civic commissioner Bhushan Gagrani directed all assistant commissioners to ensure their executive engineers remain stationed in ward control rooms. He also instructed chief engineers of the Stormwater Drains (SWD) department to keep de-watering pumps operational. Deputy Municipal Commissioners were asked to monitor the situation in their respective zones.

Sushma Nair, a scientist from IMD, explained that a trough runs from north Konkan to south Bangladesh, across a cyclonic circulation over south Chhattisgarh. This weather pattern is likely to result in widespread light to moderate rainfall across Konkan and Goa during the week. "Isolated heavy rainfall is expected over Konkan, Goa, and central Maharashtra between September 25-27," she added.