IMD Issues Red Alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad; Residents Advised to Avoid Travel

The monsoon has officially turned ferocious over the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. After rapid deterioration in weather during the morning, the weather office has issued a Red Alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.

This is something to sneeze at. The city is being lashed by torrential downpours along with punishing winds of up to 70-80 km/hr.

Major Disruptions Throughout the City

The sheer volume of water has caused severe disruption to life and brought major travel routes to a halt.

The local authorities have announced a holiday for all government, private and civic-run schools and colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Pune with immediate effect due to the extreme weather conditions. Private offices have also been strongly advised to ask their employees to work from home to keep people off of the flooded streets.

The transport on the roads and tracks is under great pressure. Heavy rains caused large-scale landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala ghat section, blocking traffic on both the Mumbai-Pune Motorway and the old highway. Debris blocking the tracks has suspended or diverted train services between the two cities. Waterlogging has affected the local lines in the city, with trains running very late. Flight operations at the international airport have also been suspended for a short while due to poor visibility.

Unfortunately, the soil is so saturated that structures are starting to fail. A multi-storey tenement in the Mankhurd area collapsed overnight amid heavy rains, killing at least six people, while strong winds continue to pose threats through treefalls in several localities.

IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONARY NOTICE 

The coast is experiencing a high tide of 4.08 metres at 3:56 PM today. “There is severe waterlogging in the low-lying areas immediately, as the drainage systems in the city are unable to drain into the ocean during heavy rainfall at high tides.

Civic bodies are recommending people to avoid all non-essential travel, keep away from beaches or coastal fronts, and not take shelter or park vehicles under old, vulnerable structures or tall trees.