Heavy rains, water-logging mark arrival of monsoon in Mumbai, IMD issues red alert

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Mumbai, and neighbouring Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places there during the day.

''As per latest satellite observations, Mumbai city and suburbs are very likely to experience moderate to intense spells of rainfall (2-3cm/hr) during next 3-4 hrs. Possibility of thunder lightning at isolated places,'' the IMD Mumbai said in its forecast at 2.30 pm. The city and its suburbs experienced thunderstorms along with moderate to intense spells of rainfall during the past 3 hours, it added. Local train services from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji MaharajTerminus (CSMT) to neighbouring Thane and Vashi in Navi Mumbai were suspended due to water-logging on some railway tracks, officials said.

Routes of some BEST buses run the city civic body's transport wing were also diverted, they said.

According to the IMD, the western suburb of Santacruz recorded 164.8 mm rain in six hours from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm, while Colaba in south Mumbai) recorded 32.2 mm rain during the same period.

''It's monsoon arrival in Mumbai today,'' Dr Jayanta Sarkar, head of the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Mumbai office, said earlier in the day.

''GOOD NEWS. Onset of SW Monsoon declared over Mumbai Thane Palghar today 9th June. Monsoon line today passing frm Valsad(Gujarat), Nagpur in Maharashtra & then Bhadrachalam Tuni..Conditions r favourable for onset of monsoon in remaining parts of Maharashtra in nxt 2,3 days,'' the IMD's head SID, Climate Research & Services at Pune, K S Hosalikar, tweeted.

However, the first heavy rain of this monsoon disrupted local train services here.

There was inundation at several places in the city, including on tracks near Sion and Chunabhatti stations on the Central Railway (CR) route.

The local train services were initially suspended on the CR's main line between CSMT and Kurla from 9.50 am.

Later, the train services were suspended between CSMT and Thane (main line), and between CSMT and Vashi (Harbour line) from 10.20 am, CR's chief spokesperson Shivaji Sutar said.

''Services on the Trans-Harbour line and BSU (Uran) lines are running smoothly. Also, shuttle services from Thane to Karjat/Kasara and Vashi-Panvel are running,'' he said.

There was no disruption on the Western Railway route and its local train services were running normal, WR's chief spokesperson Sumit Thakur said.

Water pumps were being operated to clear inundation, he said, adding that drains and culverts were flowing smoothly.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the administration to ensure the accumulated rainwater is drained out at the earliest and transport resumed.

Thackeray spoke to the control rooms in Mumbai and collectors of Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Palghar districts as incessant rains led to the inundation of several areas, affecting the normal life.

Earlier in the day, the IMD issued a red alert for Mumbai, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts, predicting ''thunderstorms accompanied with lightning/gusty winds and very heavy to extremely heavy rain at isolated places. It also issued an orange alert for various districts in the Konkan region, including Mumbai, for next four days, barring Raigad for which there is red alert for Thursday and orange alert for next three days.

''Heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places'' predicted in the districts on Konkan belt during the orange alert days, the IMD said. It also issued an orange alert for Pune, Satara and Kolhapur districts in western Maharashtra on Saturday and Sunday, and for Bhandara, Gondia and Gadchiroli districts in the Vidharbha region on Sunday. The MeT department had on Saturday confirmed the arrival of the southwest monsoon in Maharashtra as it reached Harnai in coastal Ratnagiri district.