Mumbai rains cause flooding, traffic jams, cancelled trains and closed schools

Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and its suburbs early Monday (July 8), causing major waterlogging, traffic jams and train cancellations. Municipal authorities reported that the city recorded over 300 mm of rain in just six hours, from 1 am to 7 am.

Key areas like Andheri, Kurla, Bhandup, King’s Circle, Vile Parle and Dadar witnessed major flooding. The deluge caused storm drains to overflow, causing vehicles to drift and forcing residents to wade through knee-deep water.

In response to the heavy rains, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a half-day holiday for all schools and colleges in its jurisdiction. A decision on whether to hold afternoon classes or not will be taken later.

The heavy rains also disrupted the city’s transport systems. Suburban train services were disrupted and several BEST bus routes were diverted. The Central Railway cancelled several trains, including MMR-CSMT (12110), Pune-CSMT (11010), Pune-CSMT Deccan (12124), Pune-CSMT Deccan (11007) and CSMT-Pune Intercity Express (12127). Local train services were briefly disrupted but resumed once the water receded from the tracks.

Airlines have also issued warnings. Vistara has advised travellers to allow extra time to reach Mumbai airport due to expected heavy traffic and slow vehicular movement due to adverse weather conditions.

Motorways and major roads that were not submerged by flooding experienced heavy traffic congestion during the morning rush hour. Images from the Western Expressway showed long stretches of vehicles struggling to move through the city.

Authorities have urged residents to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rains.