Mumbai experienced widespread disruption on Wednesday after an intense spell of overnight rainfall battered the city and its suburbs. Several areas received more than 200 mm of rain, leading to waterlogged roads, transport delays, infrastructure damage, and emergency responses across multiple locations.
With rainfall activity expected to continue, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has placed Mumbai under an orange alert, forecasting moderate to heavy showers along with thunderstorms and lightning.
Extreme Rainfall Recorded Across Mumbai
The arrival of the southwest monsoon in Mumbai on Tuesday brought significant rainfall across the metropolitan region. The monsoon reached the city 13 days later than its normal onset date, ending a prolonged spell of hot and humid weather.
Between 8:30 pm on Tuesday and 5:30 am on Wednesday, three weather stations registered extremely heavy rainfall, defined as 204.5 mm or more.
Ram Mandir recorded the highest rainfall at 224 mm, followed by Colaba with 218.5 mm and Santacruz with 210.6 mm.
Several other locations also witnessed very heavy rainfall. Sion, Vikhroli, Vidyavihar, Tata Power Chembur, Byculla, Bandra and Juhu Airport recorded rainfall ranging from 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm.
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IMD Issues Orange Alert for Mumbai
In view of the ongoing weather conditions, the IMD issued an orange alert for Mumbai.
The weather department warned residents about moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning as rain-bearing systems continue to impact the city and surrounding areas.
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Infrastructure Damage Reported Across the City
Wall Collapses in Vikhroli West
Among the rain-related incidents reported, a wall located next to a residential building in Vikhroli West collapsed due to heavy rainfall.
The collapse occurred near the Sun City Complex on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road.
Tree Falls on Car, Driver Injured
In another incident, a tree toppled onto a car, severely damaging the vehicle.
Authorities said the driver, who remained inside the car at the time of the incident, sustained injuries. Rescue teams were deployed, and efforts were underway to remove the fallen tree.
Heavy Rain Disrupts Railway Operations
The overnight downpour also affected railway services.
According to officials, train operations on Central Railway’s Trans-Harbour line between Thane and Vashi/Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai were impacted after a track cave-in occurred between Turbhe and Koparkhairane stations.
A spokesperson for Central Railway stated that the up line on the Thane-Vashi route was declared unsafe at 5.06 am. The down line was subsequently declared unsafe at 5.50 am, disrupting services during the morning peak period.
Track Restored After Safety Checks
Railway authorities later restored operations in phases.
The up line was reopened at 7.27 am with a speed restriction of 10 kmph. The down line was declared safe at 7.35 am, allowing trains to operate at a speed of 30 kmph.
Explaining the cause of the incident, an official said, “Track cave-in occurred because of excess water flow.”
The disruption resulted in delays and overcrowding at multiple stations across the network.
Waterlogging Recedes, Traffic Returns to Normal
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed that waterlogging had affected several parts of Mumbai during the heavy rainfall but said conditions improved after the water receded.
The civic body informed residents that traffic movement had largely returned to normal.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the BMC shared visuals from Dadar East and stated:
“Water logging occurred for some time at Andheri Subway, Hindmata, Dadar and Malad Subway. Water has now receded at these locations. Also, at Gandhi Market, Sion, the water is draining out and traffic is running smoothly. In addition, railway and BEST services are operating normally.”
The municipal corporation also released a video from Borivali West showing civic workers clearing blocked drains to facilitate water drainage and maintain smooth traffic movement.
Civic Agencies Remain on Alert
Officials said disaster management and civic teams continue to monitor rain-related developments throughout Mumbai.
Authorities remain on alert as forecasts indicate that rainfall activity is likely to persist over the coming days.
Conclusion
Mumbai’s first major monsoon spell of the season brought intense rainfall, causing waterlogging, infrastructure damage, transport disruptions, and emergency response operations across the city. While conditions improved by Wednesday morning and traffic resumed in most areas, authorities remain vigilant as the IMD’s orange alert remains in effect and additional rainfall is expected.
