Mumbai: Heavy Rain Lashes Mumbai, Thane, Palghar

Mumbai: As preparations to welcome Lord Ganesh were underway, the returns of rains on Sunday brought cheers to people in Mumbai and many other parts of Maharashtra.

Heavy rain lashed parts of Mumbai and other regions following a prolonged dry spell brought relief to people.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall for the Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts for couple of days. An ‘Orange Alert’ has been issued for these districts for the next 48 hours.

Meteorologists said an active low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea has persisted for the past two days, creating favourable conditions for rainfall along the Konkan coast. The system is being cited as one of the main reasons for the current spell of rain.

According to meteorologists, prevailing conditions will sustain continuous rain activity over Mumbai and adjoining districts through Monday.

Light to moderate rainfall is also forecast for Tuesday, when the first round of idol immersion processions is slated to begin across the city.

In view of the weather warning, residents have been urged to remain alert and take necessary precautions. People have also been advised to avoid vulnerable or dangerous locations, particularly as strong winds are possible in some areas.

Rainfall began on Sunday across Mumbai and various parts of the state, with the intensity rising in Mumbai city, the suburbs, Palghar, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Raigad districts. Heavy rains led to waterlogging in the Vasai-Virar and Nalasopara areas.

Residents faced difficulties as many roads in these localities were submerged; in several places, water levels on the roads reached knee-deep.

In Mumbai, in the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Sunday, the island city recorded an average rainfall of 52.07 mm, while the eastern and western suburbs received 72.71 mm and 65.96 mm of rain, respectively.

Moderate to heavy rains were reported across several parts of Mumbai, including Bandra, Andheri, Ghatkopar, Mulund and Central Mumbai.

Rainfall was also recorded in Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Uran, with the latest spell adding to waterlogging and traffic concerns across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

In Vasai-Virar, heavy rains continued since the night of September 12. Persistent rainfall caused waterlogging on several roads in Nalasopara, inconveniencing motorists and pedestrians during the morning commute. Commuters were forced to wade through flooded stretches to reach their destinations.