Incessant rains in Mumbai; flooding in low-lying areas; road traffic hit

The India Meteorological Department issued a nowcast warning for Maharashtra’s Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts, predicting moderate to intense rainfall at isolated places in next 3 to 4 hours.

Incessant showers lashed at Mumbai and its neighbouring areas on July 13 morning, leading to flooding in many low-lying areas and traffic snarls on roads, officials said.

The local trains, considered as the lifeline of the metropolis, were largely unaffected on the Central Railway and Western Railway routes. The suburban services on the Harbour Line were running slow, according to railway officials.

Some areas, including the Andheri subway, which connects the east and west parts of the suburb, were flooded and police had restricted its use by citizens.

The Western Express Highway, connecting suburbs to south Mumbai, also witnessed heavy traffic, a Mumbai traffic police official said. “There was heavy traffic on the route in Borivali, Goregaon, Jogeshwari, Andheri and up to some extent near Bandra,” the official said.

The Colaba (in south Mumbai) and Santacruz (western suburb) observatories reported 24mm and 44.6mm of rainfall, respectively, in the 24-hour period till 8.30 a. m. on Wednesday.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 20 locations in Mumbai received nearly 40mm showers in six hours till 9.30 a. m. on Wednesday.