Mumbai experienced a return of heavy rains after a long hiatus on Wednesday, leading the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to upgrade its alert from orange to red. This alert is in effect until 8:30 am on Thursday, predicting "extremely heavy rainfall" for the region.
Several suburbs saw substantial rainfall starting Wednesday afternoon, resulting in the inundation of low-lying areas. By the evening, heavy showers continued to impact the whole city, leading to water-logging and reduced visibility on the roads.
In an update issued at 5:30 pm, the IMD warned of thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds in isolated locations across Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri. The agency also issued red and orange alerts for Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Mumbai, and Pune for September 26, while Nashik and Dhule districts are under orange alert.
IMD scientist Sushma Nair explained that a trough extending from north Konkan to south Bangladesh, combined with a cyclonic circulation over south Chhattisgarh, is contributing to the expected widespread rainfall across Konkan and Goa through the week. Isolated heavy rainfall is anticipated in central Maharashtra as well. Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Konkan, Goa, and central Maharashtra from September 25 to 27.
Heavy rainfall also left travelers stranded and caused disruptions at Mumbai airport. Two flights were diverted and seven others had to make go-arounds due to the adverse weather conditions. Road traffic slowed down as well along with local train services facing delays.
Situation in Latur district
State minister Girish Mahajan reviewed the situation in flood-prone areas in Latur districts and urged officials to prepare for potential floods as heavy rains have affected the area in recent days. About the rising water levels in the Terna and Manjara rivers, the minister said people should be relocated to safer locations if necessary. He also noted the damage to the soybean crop and called for immediate assessments of the situation.
Officials confirmed that the district administration is implementing precautionary measures and that public announcements are being made to alert residents near riverbanks. The National Disaster Response Force is conducting training sessions for local communities in disaster management.
Heavy rainfall forecast in West Bengal
The IMD has forecasted heavy rainfall across several districts in West Bengal, with particularly intense downpours expected in the sub-Himalayan regions.
A low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal is anticipated to bring rain or thunderstorms throughout the week, especially in coastal districts like North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur.
The weather agency warned that very heavy rain, with extremely heavy downpours in isolated areas, would occur in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Kalimpong until Friday.
