MUMBAI: Over a five-hour period from 5pm on Wednesday, parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region received over 200mm of rain that resulted in four deaths, widespread waterlogging, severe traffic, Central Railway train disruptions, and flight diversions. Harried commuters were stuck on roads and railway stations and inside trains for hours. In light of a red alert till 8.30am Thursday, civic bodies BMC and TMC declared holidays for schools and colleges.While a 45-year-old woman drowned in a nullah in Andheri East, two people died while working in a stone quarry due to lightning in Kalyan. One woman drowned near Zenith waterfall.
IMD upgraded its orange alert issued Wednesday afternoon to red in the evening for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad, indicating a high likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places till 8.30am Thursday. Thereafter, it has issued an orange alert for Thursday.
In the 12 hours ending 8.30pm Wednesday, Colaba observatory recorded 70.4mm rainfall and Santacruz 94.9mm. Suburbs such as Mankhurd (276mm rainfall), Ghatkopar (259mm) and Powai (234mm) were the hardest hit.
Train services on both the Main and Harbour lines of Central Railway were severely affected too. Western Railway reported no disruption. On the Main line, services on the slow track were suspended beyond Vidyavihar due to heavy waterlogging, starting 8.10pm. Services on Thane-bound line resumed with speed restrictions at 9.10pm, while CSMT-bound line reopened at 9.40pm.
Harbour line services were suspended from 9.40pm due to waterlogging, and trains operated only between CSMT-Kurla and Vashi-Panvel.
Meanwhile, 14 flights were diverted at the city airport while seven flights aborted landing and climbed for a second attempt at touchdown.
Thane recorded 81mm of rainfall in 12 hours starting 8.30am Wednesday inundated and affecting peak hour traffic movement, officials said. A few uprooted trees affected cable internet services in some parts, consumers complained.