Mumbai Weather: IMD Sound Orange Alert; Major Airlines Warn of Cascading Delays

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Mumbai on Tuesday, forecasting a prolonged spell of heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds over the next few days.

According to the weather bureau's latest district-wise forecast, the financial capital is bracing for intense monsoon till Friday. While residents can expect a brief respite on Tuesday-when the city temporarily downgrades to a yellow alert featuring thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching up to 40 kmph-the severe weather is expected to bookend the week.

The IMD predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on Monday and Wednesday, escalating to similar intense downpours across a few places by Thursday and Friday.

The severe weather system is hitting neighbouring regions with even greater intensity. The department issued a maximum-severity red alert for Palghar district on Monday, warning of extremely heavy showers and intense thunderstorms. Meanwhile, neighboring Raigad district has been placed under an orange alert for the next five days as the region prepares for sustained heavy rainfall.

The inclement weather has already begun rippling through the aviation sector, prompting major airlines to issue urgent travel advisories. New Delhi-based Akasa Air warned passengers on Tuesday of potential network-wide flight disruptions triggered by the torrential downpours in Mumbai.

The airline acknowledged that the heavy rainfall could cause delays cascading across its broader flight schedule, urging travelers to verify their flight status before departing for the airport. In an official statement, Akasa Air expressed regret for the inconvenience, noting that while the situation remains entirely beyond their control, ground teams are fully deployed to assist affected passengers.

On the other hand, SpiceJet issued a similar warning regarding flight operations in northern India, noting that adverse weather conditions in Dharamshala could severely impact all arrivals, departures, and subsequent consequential flights. Both carriers have strongly emphasized that passengers must actively track their flight schedules online before commencing their journeys to minimize airport congestion and transit delays.

With inputs from ANI