MUMBAI — The southwest monsoon has officially arrived in India’s financial capital, bringing a heavy downpour that drenched the city overnight. The arrival comes 13 days later than the typical June 10 onset date, offering relief from the intense summer heat but triggering immediate weather warnings across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Escalating Weather Alerts
Following intense overnight rain, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a high-priority Red Alert for Mumbai and Palghar early Wednesday morning. The warning highlighted the risk of severe thunderstorms, lightning, intense downpours, and gusty winds reaching up to 40–60 kmph.
As the morning progressed, the IMD downgraded the warning to an Orange Alert, predicting continued moderate to intense spells of rain for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar, and Sindhudurg.
Transit and Traffic Impact
While the heavy rainfall caused visual disruptions, Mumbai’s primary transit systems managed to hold steady:
- Public Transport: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed that Mumbai’s suburban local trains and BEST bus services continued to operate normally without major disruptions.
- Roadways and Subways: Traffic congestion plagued major arterial roads. Notably, the Andheri Subway was forced to shut down on Wednesday morning due to severe overnight flooding, with footage showing residents wading through knee-deep water in the area.
Rainfall Numbers and Historical Context
Central Mumbai bore the brunt of Tuesday’s downpours. According to BMC data collected between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM on Tuesday, the highest rainfall levels were recorded at:
- Nair Hospital (Central Mumbai): 78.96 mm
- Lower Parel: 78.4 mm
- Malad Bus Depot (Western Suburbs): 61.8 mm
- Mankhurd (Eastern Suburbs): 51.2 mm
While this year’s June 23 onset represents a significant 13-day delay, it is not unprecedented. The IMD noted that the monsoon arrived on June 25 in 2023, while the longest recorded delays occurred in 1958 and 1974, when the monsoon held off until June 28.
The monsoon is now advancing steadily into the rest of Maharashtra, as well as parts of Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Bihar.
Tags: Mumbai Rain, Mumbai Monsoon, IMD Alert, Red Alert Mumbai, Waterlogging, Weather Update, Andheri Subway, Mumbai Traffic