Mumbai Rains Trigger Waterlogging Across City; IMD Issues Orange Alert After 100 mm Rainfall

Mumbai weather: Heavy rain that began early Thursday has thrown large parts of Mumbai out of gear, with several low-lying areas including Dadar, Parel, Hindmata, Worli, Goregaon and Andheri reporting waterlogging, traffic snarls and delays in local train services. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall through the day, with the possibility of extremely heavy showers accompanied by gusty winds of 50-60 kmph.

On Friday, the IMD issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad, cautioning residents about intense spells of rain in isolated areas and urging people to take necessary precautions. Between 8 am on July 2 and 7 am on July 3, Mumbai recorded widespread rainfall activity, with the island city receiving an average of 114 mm, the eastern suburbs 102 mm and the western suburbs 109 mm.

The city is also expected to experience a high tide of 4.28 metres at 2.18 pm on Friday, prompting civic authorities to remain on alert for possible waterlogging in coastal and low-lying zones.

Despite the downpour, suburban train services on the Central, Western and Harbour lines were reported to be operating normally in the morning, though several commuters said trains were running behind schedule. BEST bus services also continued without major disruptions, according to officials.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said several parts of the city recorded over 100 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending Friday morning. The island city averaged 126 mm, while the eastern and western suburbs logged 110 mm and 114 mm respectively.

Among the worst-hit pockets, Wadi Bunder recorded 150.2 mm of rain, followed by Malabar Hill at 145.8 mm and Sandhurst Road at 140.8 mm. In the suburbs, Andheri's Malpa Dongari Municipal School recorded 136.6 mm, while Powai saw 124 mm, the highest in the eastern suburbs.

Civic officials said water had receded from most flooded stretches by morning, though intermittent showers continued through the day. Rainfall intensity briefly eased in the early hours but picked up again after 8 am in several areas.

Meanwhile, weather experts said the monsoon pattern is expected to remain active over the west coast and central India in the first half of July before gradually weakening later in the month. According to IMD's Extended Range Prediction System, rainfall is likely to be above normal during the first two weeks but may turn below normal across much of the country in the latter half.

IMD scientist SD Sanap said the upcoming phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) could play a key role in this shift, as it moves into phases that are generally unfavourable for monsoon activity over India. However, he cautioned that forecasts beyond two weeks carry lower confidence and could change.

"Rainfall activity will continue, but the intensity is expected to reduce in the second half of the month," he said.

Experts also noted that rainfall distribution may shift in the coming days, with Gujarat, the west coast and parts of northwest India likely to see enhanced activity even as other regions witness a decline.

Amid the relentless rain, isolated incidents of rain-related fatalities were reported across Maharashtra, including a man who died after falling into a manhole in Mumbai's Chandivali and another death linked to strong winds in Thane district. In Pune, a toddler died after falling into an uncovered trench filled with rainwater and sewage, raising fresh concerns over civic safety measures.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as heavy rain is expected to persist, with tidal activity and waterlogging likely to remain key concerns for the city through Friday.