Mumbai witnessed the first rains of the season, accompanied by a massive duststorm which turned the sky dark around 3 pm today. Rainfall brought relief to the residents of Mumbai and its adjoining area from heat but the skyline of the metropolitan was encircled by dusty winds.
The sudden change in weather brought traffic to a standstill as commuters took shelter during the storm.
Strong winds and rain were witnessed in the Ghatkopar, Bandra Kurla, Dharavi area of Mumbai. Landing and takeoff operations at the Mumbai airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, were temporarily suspended, officials said. The airport authority in an update said the operations resumed at 5:03 pm and it witnessed 15 flight diversions during the storm. The Mumbai Airport last week completed its pre-monsoon runway maintenance successfully, ensuring safe and smooth aircraft operations.
A 100-foot tall billboard was uprooted and fell on a petrol pump at the Cheddanagar Junction in Mumbai's Ghatkopar, trapping vehicles and people, visuals showed. Some people are heard saying "They are dead...they are dead". No casualties have been reported so far but a rescue operation is underway.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called to rescue the trapped. Three people died and 67 were rescued from the site.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai has issued a "nowcast warning" forecasting a thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and moderate to intense spells of rain for Thane, Palghar and Mumbai.
The weather office, in an update, said thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate to intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 km/hr are very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Palghar and Thane during the next 3-4 hours.
Metro services were suspended between Aarey and Andheri East metro stations after a banner landed on the overheard wire due to strong winds, a spokesperson from Metro Rail said.
Suburban services on Central Railway were affected after an overhead equipment pole between Thane and Mulund stations got bent due to strong winds, an official said.
Strong winds caused trees to fall in several areas. In Mumbai's neighbouring Navi Mumbai, a tree fell on a busy road in the Aroli Sector 5 area. No one was injured but the traffic stopped and commuters parked their vehicles at a safe distance as heavy winds continued to hit the city.
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