IMD issues red alert for Mumbai, Thane as intensity of rainfall increases
Amid the intensity of rain gathering pace since Wednesday afternoon, several low-lying pockets of the suburbs, such as Mulund, Bhandup as well as the Andheri subway, have witnessed waterlogging.
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Pedestrians walk amidst rain, as IMD has sounded a red alert for Mumbai today, at Marine Lines in Mumbai. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)Heavy rainfall and thunderstorm activity continued to lash Mumbai and its suburbs on Wednesday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to sound a red alert in Mumbai and Thane on Wednesday evening, which will remain in place until Thursday morning.
Amid the intensity of rain gathering pace since Wednesday afternoon, several low-lying pockets of the suburbs, such as Mulund, Bhandup as well as the Andheri subway, have witnessed waterlogging.
In the comeback of the wet spell, the total stock in the seven lakes catering to Mumbai’s water supply also surpassed 99 percent – touching 99.26 per cent – on Wednesday.
While the red alert in Mumbai will remain in place until 8.30 am on Thursday, according to the IMD, the city and its neighbouring district of Thane will continue to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall alongside thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds on Thursday. The weather bureau has also placed the districts under an orange alert on Thursday.
For the third consecutive day, the city woke up to overcast skies and heavy showers on Wednesday morning with the IMD’s Santacruz station recording 74 mm rain while the Colaba station registering 41 mm rainfall.
Following noon, the pace of rainfall intensified as torrential showers and thunderstorms battered the city. The intense spells took a toll on the suburbs, leaving many low-lying areas submerged in water. Water logging was reported in many areas like Bhandup, Mulund etc. In the western suburbs, the low-lying Andheri subway was shut for traffic owing to accumulation of water on Wednesday afternoon.
In light of the heavy showers in the city, the IMD upgraded its forecast and issued a red warning in Mumbai and Thane on Wednesday evening. According to the IMD, the city is likely to receive “extremely heavy rain with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds” until Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for Mumbai and Thane for Thursday while a red alert has been issued for Palghar on Thursday.
Having logged over 100 mm rainfall in the past two days, the Santacruz station has clocked nearly 339 mm rain in the month of September so far.
Amid heavy rain sweeping Mumbai and its suburbs, the stock in the seven lakes catering to water demands in Mumbai touched 99.26 percent – which accounts for 14.36 lakh million litres – on Wednesday morning. Last year as well as in 2022, on the same day, the water stock in the lakes hovered around 98 percent.
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