MUMBAI: Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation declared a holiday for schools and colleges due to torrential rains in the metropolitan city. Four people died in rain-related accidents in Mumbai during the last few days.
Around 14 services of airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara have been diverted. A red alert was issued in Pune, Thane, Raigad and Ratnagiri and an orange alert in Palghar. Wednesday’s unexpected downpour caused waterlogging and traffic disruptions. The rain with lightning intensified around 4 pm.
Traffic on the main line of the Central Railway was disrupted due to rising water in low-lying areas. Local trains on all other lines got delayed while major flight services connecting the city were cancelled or diverted. Waterlogging wreaked major havoc in Mulund and Bhandup areas. Andheri subway was also closed for a long time. Heavy rains also lashed Thane, Navi Mumbai and Vasai regions.
The Meteorological Center has predicted heavy rainfall to continue in Sindhugurg, Palghar and Ratnagiri regions. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, Chinchoti-Bhiwandi Road and Thane Ghodbunder Road saw traffic jams for hours due to waterlogging. Heavy crop damage was also reported in rural areas due to rains that fell days before harvest.