Overnight showers in Mumbai witnessed the arrival of delayed southwest monsoon on Tuesday night. Widespread overnight rainfall brought immediate relief from the sweltering heat but caused severe waterlogging across low-lying areas by Wednesday morning, according to sources. However, officials said that the downpour did not halt normal life in the city. Railway services on Mumbai’s suburban network operated as usual, bus services continued without any interruption, and all major subways remained open to traffic.
Visuals showed a car trying to cross the waterlogged underpass, with its tyres almost disappearing beneath the floodwater. The situation prompted civic authorities to shut the underpass and deploy officials on-site to prevent motorists from entering the waterlogged area. The Andheri underpass was closed for traffic after severe waterlogging made it unsafe for vehicles to pass through, as heavy rain continued to lash the city. A subway in Everard Nagar was closed after it reported water logging making it unsafe for public movement. Meanwhile, morning visuals from King’s Circle showed flooded roads, slow-moving traffic and commuters struggling amid continuous showers.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for Mumbai and Palghar at 4 am, lasting for three hours warning of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, intense to very intense rainfall, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-60 kmph. Subsequently, by 7 am the warning was downgraded to orange alert for the next three hours.
Despite the delayed arrival this year, it was not the latest onset on record. In 2023, the monsoon reached Mumbai on June 25, while the longest delay was recorded in 1958 and 1974, when it arrived on June 28, according to IMD data.