Unseasonal heavy rainfall, accompanied with gusty winds, thunderstorms and lightning, in parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Pune, brought much-need relief from the scorching heat but triggered widespread water logging and traffic chaos.
The weather department has issued yellow and orange alerts, and warned of similar weather conditions for four days from Wednesday in parts of the state.
On Tuesday evening, the sudden rainfall and subsequent flooding brought traffic to a grinding halt in areas like Powai in Mumbai. An incident of tree felling near Jalvayu Complex sparked chaos, prompting the administration to direct commuters to use alternative routes. No injuries were reported due to the tree felling.
The Andheri subway was completely submerged in water due to the heavy rains. A team of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation rushed to the spot to remove the water through drainage machines, sources said.
Commuters wade through a waterlogged road at Andheri in Mumbai. Photo Credit: ANI
Similar scenes were witnessed in Pune, with water leakage being reported at the city’s airport. Local residents claimed water from unclean drains overflowed onto the streets.
In a post on X, SpiceJet said: “Due to bad weather in Pune (PNQ), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status…”
In Mira-Bhayandar in Thane district, heavy rains started at around 7.30pm. It was accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. Instances of strong lightning were reported near Maheshwari Bhavan in Bhayander West.
Train services on the Konkan Railway (KR) route were briefly disrupted in the evening following a landslide between Vervali and Vilavade stations in Ratnagiri district. A KR spokesperson said a huge boulder fell on the tracks at around 6.30 pm amid heavy rainfall in the coastal Konkan and Goa region, affecting the rail traffic on the busy 741-kilometre-long route that connects Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
Thunderstorm lights up the sky above the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai. Photo Credit: PTI
Due to the landslide, train traffic on the Mumbai-Goa route was suspended for some time and it was restored once the debris was removed from the tracks at around 8 pm, the spokesperson added.
The Netravati Express – that runs between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai and Trivandrum Central in Kerala – was stopped at Ratnagiri station. The Jan Shatabdi Express going towards Mumbai was stopped at Vaibhavwadi station. The Tejas Express going towards Mumbai was also halted at Kankavli station.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai said parts of Maharashtra may witness heavy rain with thunder and gusty winds between Wednesday and Saturday following a cyclonic circulation which is likely to form over the east-central Arabian Sea off the Karnataka coast.
A low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region around May 22, and thereafter, it may move northwards and intensify further, the centre said.
Commuters wade through a waterlogged road at Nagardas in Mumbai. Photo Credit: ANI
Met department official Shubhangi Bhute said rainfall activity over Maharashtra may increase this week under the influence of the cyclonic circulation. The weather system is expected to impact parts of Maharashtra, including south Konkan, south central Maharashtra and Mumbai, she said.
“There is a possibility of heavy rainfall with thunder at some places, accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph or possibly higher at isolated locations,” she said.
An orange alert – rainfall of 11 cm to 20 cm – has been issued for Pune, Ratnagiri, Sindhurdhurg, Ahilya Nagar, Kolhapur, Beed, Solapur, Dharashiv and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar for Wednesday.
A yellow alert – heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm – has been issued for areas like Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Nashik, Satara, Sangli, Jalna, Amravati and Bhandara.
