Mumbai Rains: City gets first rain of the season, flights affected, traffic disrupted, trees and hoardings collapse
Mumbai witnessed first rain of the season with thunderstorm and strong winds
Mumbai witnesses first rain of the season. A massive dust storm and dark clouds engulfed the metropolis around 3 pm local time. Rainfall provided relief from the heat for residents of Mumbai and its surrounding areas, but the city’s skyline was encircled by dusty winds.
The sudden change in weather caused traffic to come to a halt as commuters sought shelter during the storm.
Strong winds and rain were witnessed in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, Bandra Kurla, and Dharavi areas. Landing and takeoff operations at Mumbai International Airport, one of the country’s busiest, were temporarily suspended until further notice, according to officials. Later, according to an update from the airport authority, operations resumed at 5:03 p.m., and 15 flights were diverted during the storm.
A 100-foot-tall billboard was uprooted and fell on a petrol pump at Cheddanagar Junction in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, trapping vehicles and people, according to video footage. No casualties have been reported thus far, but a rescue operation is underway.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai has issued a “nowcast warning” for Thane, Palghar, and Mumbai, forecasting a thunderstorm with lightning and moderate to intense rain.
📌Lastest at 5.39pm, thunder clouds now moving towards #Mumbai, #Pune, #Satara. Few intense echoes too.
— K S Hosalikar (@Hosalikar_KS) May 13, 2024
📌#Mumbai #Thane, #NM sky with mod intensity clouds, but needs to watch
📌Also Parts of #Gujarat, #Rajsthan, west #MP to chked next 2,3 hrs for possibilities of thunderstorms pic.twitter.com/egSdbTGj75
In an update, the weather office stated that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate to intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 km/hr are very likely to occur in isolated areas of the Palghar and Thane districts over the next 3-4 hours.
Metro services were suspended between Aarey and Andheri East metro stations after a banner fell on the overhead wire due to strong winds, according to a Metro Rail spokesperson.
An overhead equipment pole between Thane and Mulund stations bent due to strong winds, affecting suburban services on the Central Railway, according to an official.
Strong winds caused trees to fall in several locations. In Mumbai’s neighboring Navi Mumbai, a tree fell on a busy road near Aroli Sector 5. Although no one was injured, traffic came to a halt and commuters parked their vehicles at a safe distance as heavy winds continued to blow through the city.
