Heavy Rainfall Warnings in Mumbai: India Meteorological Department Issues Orange Alert, Anticipates Further Downpours Today
Mumbai's Monday started soggy as rain-soaked the city in the wee hours. June 16th saw a drenched Mumbai due to heavy rainfall, thanks to the India Meteorological Department (IMD)'s orange alert. The city is bracing for potential disruptions as more showers are expected throughout the day.
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The storm began around 2 a.m. and continued until 5 a.m., with Fort recording the highest rainfall of 74 mm. Areas including Bandra, Malabar Hill, Lower Parel, Haji Ali, and Matunga followed closely, seeing 62 mm to 56 mm of rainfall each. Although Santacruz, Grant Road, Dadar, and Dadar East typically avoid the worst of downpours, they still reported 47 mm, 41 mm, and 42 mm of rainfall, respectively. Even regularly unaffected localities like Andheri, Mumbai Central, Borivali, and Worli were hit hard, resulting in widespread waterlogging.
The city of Mumbai bore the early monsoon's brunt, while Thane mostly stayed dry during the same window, with rainfall expected later today.
IMD Orange Alert: What's the Lowdown?
IMD's orange alert indicates the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall, ranging between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm in 24 hours. The department has warned locals about potential localized flooding, traffic congestion, and disruptions in public transport. Residents of low-lying or flood-prone areas, such as Fort, Malabar Hill, Bandra, Lower Parel, Matunga, and Haji Ali, are advised to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary and to keep a sharp eye on official weather advisories.
7-Day Rainy Forecast: Wet Weeks Ahead
According to the IMD's seven-day forecast, rain is expected to continue in Mumbai through June 17th. Conditions may ease slightly starting June 18th, with overcast skies and intermittent showers for the rest of the week. The IMD has not issued any additional alerts at present.
Government Preparedness and Citizen Advisory
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mobilized disaster response teams to manage excess water in flood-prone areas. Pumping stations are operational to cope with the waterlogging. Authorities advice Mumbaikars to plan their commutes wisely, avoiding flooded areas whenever possible.
Faced with heavy rainfall, the city will likely experience many intense showers in the coming weeks. Citizens are encouraged to stay up-to-date with real-time alerts from the IMD, BMC, and Maharashtra Disaster Management Authority and exercise caution. (This is a developing story; updates to follow)
(With inputs from multiple news reports)
(Note: Mumbai takes extensive measures to mitigate monsoon-related hazards, including proactive weather alert systems, emergency civic responses like waterlogging mitigation, travel advisories, and transport monitoring for commuter safety. These measures aim to reduce unfortunate incidents such as the collapse of the Kundmala footbridge in Pune[1][2][4][5].)
Weather conditions in Mumbai are expected to remain unpredictable, as the city braces for more rain showers following the IMD's orange alert. In the subsequent days, the city might encounter numerous heavy downpours, as per the IMD's 7-day weather-forecasting.
