Very Heavy Rainfall Lashes Mumbai: Disrupts Normal Life
Key Takeaways:
- Key Takeaways
- Mumbai received over 200 mm rainfall within eight hours after monsoon onset.
- Santacruz and Colaba recorded 225 mm and 248 mm rainfall respectively in the last 24 hours.
- Heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds will continue for the next two days.
- Flight operations across Mumbai airport are facing delays, rerouting and possible cancellations due to persistent heavy rain.
- Forecast Validity: Next 48 hours
Mumbai and its suburbs witnessed intense rainfall within hours of the southwest monsoon making its delayed arrival over the city, nearly 13 days later than usual. Though the delay was significant this season, it still remained short of the historic late arrivals recorded in 1959, 2019 and 2023, when the monsoon reached Mumbai on June 25.
As predicted by Skymet, rains turned relentless from midnight onward. Heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds is expected to continue for the next two days, with only brief intermittent breaks.
The airport observatory at Santacruz recorded 225 mm rainfall, while the regional observatory at Colaba registered 248 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours. Rainfall activity remained more intense across North Konkan, including Santacruz, Colaba, Dahanu, Alibag and Palghar. Comparatively, South Konkan regions such as Harnai, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg witnessed relatively lower rainfall. Harnai and Ratnagiri recorded 62 mm and 56 mm rainfall respectively during the past 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. today.
The monthly rainfall total has now climbed to 271.1 mm at Santacruz and 324.1 mm at Colaba. The normal rainfall for Mumbai during June stands at 526.3 mm. Heavy rainfall activity is continuing and is expected to persist throughout the day.
Soon after the onset of monsoon, Mumbai received over 200 mm rainfall within just eight hours. Residents woke up to waterlogged roads, traffic congestion and disruptions across several parts of the city following the overnight downpour.
Amid ongoing red and orange alerts over Mumbai, flight operations have also been severely affected. Continuous heavy rainfall has led to widespread delays and possible rerouting of flights. Both arrivals and departures across multiple airlines are facing disruptions due to cascading operational impacts. Flight cancellations due to prolonged delays are also likely. Travelers are advised to check flight status updates directly with their respective airlines before heading to the airport.
