While Monday saw an overcast sky with minimal rain, the previous night brought heavy showers accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms. The downpour began around 8 pm and intensified after 10 pm, causing waterlogging in several South and Central Mumbai areas. The high tide of 3.74 meters further exacerbated the situation. Waterlogging shut the Andheri subway and Parel TT bridge for nearly two hours.
Vikhroli Records Highest Rainfall
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Vikhroli's Tagore Nagar received the highest rainfall, recording 158.2 mm in just five hours, from 8 pm to 1 am. The average rainfall across the city during this period was 99.11 mm. Despite the respite, residents expressed outrage at the waterlogging in several areas, including Hindmata, Dadar, Byculla, Sewri station, Worli, Vikhroli, and Dahisar. The sudden downpour exposed the city's drainage woes.
Temperature Drops, Humidity Soars
The arrival of the monsoon brought down morning temperatures but pushed humidity levels significantly higher. Santacruz recorded a minimum temperature of 24.2 degrees Celsius, with 94% humidity.
Weekend Deluge Caused Havoc
The heavy rains over the weekend caused widespread disruption. The six-hour window between Saturday night and Sunday morning saw areas like Chembur and Vikhroli receive heavy rainfall, leading to 29 fatalities in these suburbs. The sudden downpour was attributed to a 'mini cloud burst' by state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray. The IMD did not officially classify it as such.
While the city grapples with the aftermath of the weekend's heavy rains, the IMD has issued an orange alert for July 19-22, indicating the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places.
