New Delhi: A day after Mumbai's Colaba area reported its heaviest rainfall in 46 years, the situation on ground seemed to have improved with local and suburban trains running on schedule. However, the weather department warned that heavy rains and strong winds are likely to lash Mumbai over the next three hours. It added that there would be gradual decrease in rainfall. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked people to stay indoors and venture out only for essential work.
"Mumbai city and suburbs are very likely to receive few spells of moderate to heavy rainfall (1-2 cm/hour) during next 3-4 hours accompanied with strongwinds reaching 60-70 kmph occasionally gusting to 80 kmph. During next 3-4 hrs . Possibility of thunder/lightning in some areas," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted.
Various parts of Mumbai are suffering from waterlogging due to incessant rainfall. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday assured all possible support to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding the situation prevailing in Mumbai and surrounding areas due to heavy rainfall.
Earlier, IMD predicted heavy downpour in the region.
"Widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls and isolated extremely heavy falls most likely to continue over Konkan and Goa (including Mumbai) till August 6 and over Madhya Maharashtra (ghat areas) till August 5 and reduce thereafter," IMD said in a tweet.
Here are the Live updates of Mumbai rain:
Aug 06, 2020 19:06 (IST)
Gujarat, Goa, parts of Maharashtra likely to receive heavy rain
Gujarat, the ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours, said a notification issued by Press Information Bureau (PIB).
According to the notification, significant weather features of Thursday include strong surface winds over plains of northwest India during next 24 hours, along with cyclonic circulation at north Konkan and neighbourhood at mid and upper tropospheric levels tilting southwestwards with height.
The PIB said the monsoon trough is also active and is south of its normal position. Its western end is very likely to shift northwards gradually towards foothills of the Himalayas from August 8.
A low-pressure area is lying over southwest Madhya Pradesh along with associated cyclonic circulation extending up to lower tropospheric levels, which is likely to become less marked by Friday, said the PIB.
Aug 06, 2020 17:35 (IST)
Civic body Commissioner inspects Mumbai's Peddar road amid incessant rainfall
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner IS Chahal visited Mumbai's Peddar road to review the situation on Thursday amid incessant rainfall in Mumbai.
A portion of a wall collapsed in Peddar Road due to heavy rainfall.
Chahal told reporters, "Four wards including Colaba, Nariman Point and Marine Drive have received 300mm rainfall in four hours on Wednesday, which was unprecedented."
"Although, the waterlogged areas were cleared soon," he said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in a tweet, said, "Rainfall of 331.8 mm in Mumbai-Colaba and 162.3 mm in Mumbai-Santacruz was released between August 5, 8.30 am and August 6, 8.30 am."
On Thursday, IMD has predicted moderate to heavy rainfall and strong winds during the next three-four hours in the Mumbai city and suburbs.
Aug 06, 2020 15:33 (IST)
Mangroves destruction to blame for flooding in Mumbai: Experts
Destruction of mangroves and unplanned constructions are responsible for flooding in Mumbai every year after heavy rains, say environment activists and town planners.
Mangroves absorb excess water but they are being destroyed in Mumbai in the guise of infrastructure development, city-based environmentalist Debi Goenka told PTI.
"Destruction of mangroves has definitely been one of the major causes of flooding, since the land reclaimed from mangroves is now blocking the rain water from flowing out into the sea. The capacity of mangroves to absorb flood water has also reduced," he said.
The biggest problem today is that government agencies which are responsible for the protection of mangroves are busy "destroying them in the guise of infrastructure development", he claimed.
Aug 06, 2020 10:25 (IST)
Due to the evolving situation of incessant rains, 16 teams have been pre-positioned in Maharashtra. 5 teams in Mumbai, 4 teams in Kolhapur, 2 teams in Sangli, and 1 team each in Satara, Thane, Palghar, Nagpur, Raigad: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Aug 06, 2020 10:25 (IST)
Mumbai's Colaba received 331.8mm rainfall in the last 24 hours. A high tide of 4.33mtr expected at 1351 hours today: India Meteorological Department