Heavy to very heavy rains were forecast in Mumbai on Monday, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert and Mumbai University to cancel all exams, a day after at least 13 people died as rain and gusty winds battered the city and its suburbs.
Train services remained affected due to waterlogging between Vasai Road and Virar stations. Passengers should expect delays, plan their journey accordingly and allow additional travel time, the Central Railway said. Schools were closed in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad. The traditional dabbawala lunch box delivery system has been suspended.
Gusty winds may reach speeds of up to 60-70 kilometers per hour and the maximum temperature is expected to reach around 27 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. In the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, 159 mm of rain was recorded at Santacruz, the city’s primary weather station, and 128 mm in Colaba.
Between 8 am on Sunday and 8 am on Monday, Mumbai recorded an average rainfall of 105.24 mm. The eastern and western suburbs received 161.11 mm and 159.40 mm. Due to rainfall in the past 24 hours, the water level in the seven reservoirs that supply water to Mumbai has reached 16.92%. During the past 24 hours, the percentage of water in tanks increased by 3.73%. The city is set to witness a high tide of 4.08 meters at 3:56 pm on Monday.
With 153 mm of rain falling in the 24 hours that ended at 5 pm on Sunday, Mumbai recorded 74% of its average July rainfall in just four days. Six people, including five minors, died when a chawl building collapsed in Mankhurd on Sunday.
Two men, aged 18 and 63, died when trees fell in Aarey Colony and Kurla. A 35-year-old man died in Vashi when part of a balcony collapsed in Gohugaon. One drowning case and one electrocution case were reported in Vasai Virar on Sunday. The body of a 21-year-old man, who had been missing for the past three days, has been recovered from the Chikhuli dam in Ambernath. In Bhiwandi, a 17-year-old boy who had gone crab fishing in the river was swept away.
