Heavy rains lash Mumbai; Several roads witness waterlogging, Central Railway’s harbour line affected

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the highest precipitation was recorded at Nariman Point Fire Station (104 mm) in the southern tip of the city

Mumbai: Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Monday morning, leading to suspension of suburban train services between Vadala Road and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Central Railway’s Harbour line from 10:25 am, while waterlogging was reported from several areas in the metropolis.

According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the highest precipitation was recorded at Nariman Point Fire Station (104 mm) in the southern tip of the city, followed by A Ward Office (86 mm), Colaba pumping station (83 mm), and Municipal Head Office (80 mm) between 9 am and 10 am. Suburban areas reported comparatively less rain, BMC officials added.

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Train services on Harbour line were affected due to waterlogging on the tracks at Masjid station, CR officials said. Services on the main line’s slow corridor were running normally, though the fast corridor witnessed a few signal and track changing point failures, CR Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila said. “Heavy waterlogging was also reported in the CSMT yard, affecting Up Through lines and sidings 308, 331, 347, and 231, disrupting train movements to and from platforms 5, 6, 7, 10 to 18,” he informed.

A few hours of incessant rainfall also caused waterlogging in several low-lying areas of the country’s financial capital. Amid the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) warnings about thunderstorms and gusty winds, an intense spell of rain lashed parts of Mumbai, especially the island city, for a couple of hours.

Tracks were inundated at Masjid, Byculla, Dadar, Matunga and Badlapur railway stations on Central Railway, delaying trains in the morning rush hours, leaving commuters distressed.

Western Railway said there was no waterlogging on its tracks and that trains were running normally, However, passengers complained of delays. Vehicular traffic was affected after low-lying areas, including King’s Circle, Mantralaya, Dadar TT East, Parel TT, Kalachowki, Wadala, Hindmata, Kemps Corner, Churchgate, Chinchpokali, and Dadar, witnessed waterlogging.

Among the spots where water accumulated was the heavily patronised civic-run KEM Hospital in Parel. A BEST spokesperson said buses on a dozen routes had to be diverted due to waterlogging at four locations in the island city. The intensity of the rain reduced around 10 am, but the sky remained overcast.

Earlier in the day, the IMD, in its ‘Nowcast’, forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph at isolated places in Mumbai. “Generally cloudy sky with possibility of thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds 30-40 kmph and light to moderate rain at isolated places in city and suburbs,” the forecast stated.

The IMD Mumbai has forecast light to moderate rainfall in parts of Mumbai for the next 24 hours, civic officials said. A high tide of 4.75 metres is expected at 11.24 am, and another of 4.17 metres at 11:09 am, as per the BMC. A low tide of 1.63 metres is likely at 5.18 pm and 0.04 metres at 5.21 am on Tuesday, they added.