Mumbai witnessed one of the heaviest spells of monsoon rains in the last 24 hours, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for Sunday and warn of continued heavy to very heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds.
The city recorded more than 190mm of average rainfall in its three districts, while several areas received more than 250mm of rain, raising concerns about waterlogging and disturbance as high tides are expected later in the day.
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The IMD forecast at 8 am predicted moderate to heavy rain at isolated places in Mumbai and neighboring Raigad during the next three hours.
The Met Office also forecast that rain will continue across the city and its suburbs throughout the day, with very heavy rain in a few places and very heavy rain in isolated places. Wind speeds are also expected to reach 55-65 km per hour.
Heavy rain in Mumbai
The city has witnessed exceptionally heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. Between 8am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday, the average rainfall recorded was 194mm in the island city, 217mm in the eastern suburbs, and 186mm in the western suburbs.
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IMD observatories also recorded heavy rainfall between 8.30am on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday, with Colaba receiving 265.6mm of rain and Santacruz recording 227.7mm. The minimum temperatures were 24.4 degrees Celsius in Colaba and 24.5 degrees Celsius in Santacruz.
Among the individual rain gauges, Vikhroli recorded the highest rainfall at 253 mm between 8.30 am on July 4 and 5.30 am on July 5, followed by Ram Mandir with 252.5 mm. Santacruz received 224.5mm while Piccola recorded 172.5mm. Other districts that reported heavy rains included Vidyavihar (169 mm), Colaba (165.5 mm), Sion (157.5 mm) and Tata Power (136 mm).
The IMD also warned residents about tidal conditions. A high tide of 4.19 meters is expected at 3.22pm on Sunday, increasing the risk of waterlogging in low-lying areas if heavy rainfall coincides with peak tide. The next high tide is expected to reach 3.51 meters at 3.41am on Monday. Low tide is expected to be at 9.31pm on Sunday (1.59m) and 9.05am on Monday (1.56m).
Authorities advised citizens to stay in their homes unless necessary, avoid waterlogged areas, and exercise caution as heavy rains and strong winds continue to affect Mumbai.
