Torrential rains have disrupted life in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, causing widespread flooding, transport chaos, and school closures.
In a statement, civic officials reported that over 300 millimeters of rain pounded the city of 12 million in just six hours until 7 a.m., ahead of the morning rush hour.
With forecasts predicting more heavy showers and a high tide of 4.40 meters in the coastal city, schools and colleges shut for the day as a precaution.
“Life has been disrupted in Mumbai due to heavy rains everywhere. There is a traffic jam on the road and the traffic on the railway line is also affected.
“The work of removing water from the tracks is going on by the railway administration and efforts are on to restore the traffic soon. I have directed all emergency agencies to be on high alert.
“Citizens should go out only if necessary. I am also appealing to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Police Administration and Emergency Services to cooperate,” Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, the western state whose capital is Mumbai, said on X.
The heavy downpour has submerged roads and railway lines, forcing the suspension of suburban passenger trains and delaying or cancelling over 250 flights at the city’s airport.
The rains, coupled with low visibility, prompted airport authorities to suspend runway operations for over an hour from 2:22 a.m.
As a result, more than 300 flights were delayed and 36 cancelled, according to Flightradar24.
IndiGo and SpiceJet, two of India’s major airlines, reported disruptions to their Mumbai flights due to the heavy rain.
“Flights are impacted due to heavy rains and air traffic congestion in Mumbai,” Indigo said on X.
Vehicles were partially submerged in knee-deep water in many areas, leading to traffic congestion and gridlocks. Schools and colleges have been shut due to the severe weather conditions.
This latest bout of heavy rain comes on the heels of record-breaking showers in New Delhi, which caused the fatal collapse of an airport roof.
Torrential monsoon rains have also triggered floods and landslides in India’s north and east, as well as in neighboring Nepal, where at least 11 people lost their lives.
In northeastern Assam, over 2 million people have been affected by river flooding, with Kaziranga National Park, home to the rare one-horned rhinoceros, being inundated, resulting in the death of six rhinos.
According to state authorities, 66 people have died in floods and rain-related incidents since May.
Additionally, flooding has affected 31 villages in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, on the Nepal border.