Monsoon Arrives, Heavy Rain, Waterlogging In Several Areas

India: The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra early Wednesday morning – a day ahead of schedule – with heavy rainfall over the state capital and nearby suburban areas leading to flooded roads and subways, and some disruption in traffic and local train services.

“It’s monsoon arrival in Mumbai today,” Dr Jayanta Sarkar, the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Mumbai office chief, was quoted by news agency PTI. The rains are moving faster than expected, having reached Kerala June 3. Earlier it used to set in around June 10.

The weather department has predicted moderate rain or thundershowers in the country’s financial capital and surrounding suburbs, with the possibility of heavy, or very heavy, rain, in some places.

Mumbai’s Colaba observatory recorded 77 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending 8.30 am. Around 60 mm of rain was recorded in Santacruz in the same period.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai and its eastern and western suburbs recorded 48.49 mm, 66.99 mm and 48.99 mm rain, respectively, in 24 hours ending 8 am.

Belapur recorded 168 mm of rain (152 mm in the past six hours), Chembur and Mumbai Central recorded 125 mm and 112 mm, respectively. Worli and Malvani regions recorded 105 mm each, with Kandivali, Borivali, Mumbra, Powai and Juhu receiving between 71 mm and 94 mm of rainfall.

Waterlogging has been reported from several low-lying areas in Mumbai, including the Gandhi Market area of King Circle, from Sion and the Milan subway in Vile Parle.