Mumbai Rains Alert: The India Meteorological Department has predicted "heavy to very heavy" rains in Mumbai, including "extremely heavy" rain in isolated places, for Sunday. It has also issued a red alert for today in the view of expected heavy spells of rain in the state. Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is on alert and is prepared for the monsoon onslaught. It has asked citizens to be careful during the rain. "As per warning from IMD about extremely heavy rainfall on 28th July 2019 citizens to note and avoid venturing around sea. For any assistance please dial 1916 helpline," BMC wrote on Twitter.

"BMC has alerted its citizens about the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall on Sunday accompanied by lightning during the day. The civic machinery, including the Disaster Management Cell, has been put on alert," a civic body spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI. He said, wherever required, ward officials have been asked to visit areas in their jurisdiction to monitor the situation on the ground. "We appeal to citizens to be careful and avoid venturing into the sea, and not to open manholes," he added.


The Colaba and Santacruz observatories have recorded 44.2 millimetres and 27.7 mm rainfall respectively in the 24-hour period starting on Saturday 8.30 am, an IMD official said on Sunday. The IMD forecast said there would be fairly widespread rainfall across Maharashtra on Sunday, which will be especially beneficial for Marathwada and Vidarbha, both regions having got deficit rainfall so far this season.

Mumbai and its suburbs, Thane, Palghar and Pune have received rainfall in excess of the normal average between June 1 and July 24, it said.
Seasonal state-level rainfall figures have not been updated as yet, the IMD official informed.

On Saturday, heavy rains in Mumbai forced cancellation of 11 flights and diversion of nine incoming aircraft to nearby airports. The operations at the city's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, however, were otherwise normal, an airport official said. On Friday, there was water-logging on the landside area of the airport but the water level was brought down with de-watering pumps, the official said.

Watch | Rain wreaks havoc in different parts of nation



In a statement in the evening, Central Railway informed that over 1,000 passengers rescued from the Mumbai-Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express earlier on Saturday afternoon made their onward journey in a special train that left from Kalyan at 6:10 pm.

The train will go via Manmad, Pune and Daund to Kolhapur, CR chief public relations officer Sunil Udasi said. The Mahalaxmi Express marooned near Vangani in neighbouring Thane district after heavy rains caused the Ulhas river to breach its banks. They were rescued by NDRF, Army, Navy, Air Force and railway teams around 3pm after a 17-hour ordeal.