Heavy rains batter Thane and Bhiwandi as IMD issues red alert
Thane and the surrounding districts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region were battered by heavy downpours for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for Thane and Raigad between July 3 and July 4. The intense monsoon activity has prompted authorities to brace for further disruptions, with neighbouring Palghar declaring a school holiday.
According to rain gauge data, Thane received 109 mm of rainfall between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, while nearby Bhiwandi recorded 162 mm of rain during the same period. The heavy showers persisted through Wednesday, with Thane recording an additional 99.02 mm of rainfall between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red nowcast warning on Wednesday afternoon for Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar due to intense spells. In Palghar, where a red warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was issued for Thursday, the district collector declared a public holiday for all schools on Thursday. Meanwhile, Mumbai remains under an orange alert until July 5, with heavy rain forecast to continue across the region until the weekend.
Meteorologists attributed the prolonged wet spell to multiple active monsoon systems. An upper air cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal was expected to develop into a low-pressure area by July 3, drawing in moisture and triggering intensive rainfall. Additionally, an off-shore trough is expected to persist along the coast for the next week.
The heavy rains caused widespread disruptions across the broader metropolitan area. In Navi Mumbai, Belapur received 155 mm of rain and Koparkhairne recorded 141 mm between Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Later on Wednesday, Belapur recorded another 95 mm, Digha registered 86 mm, and Airoli received 84.60 mm.
In Mumbai, the downpours coincided with a high tide, causing severe waterlogging in low-lying areas. Traffic came to a complete standstill at the Andheri subway and slowed significantly at the Khar subway. Submerged streets were also reported in Kurla East, Ghatkopar, Powai, Bhandup, and Mulund, leading to major traffic delays on the Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway, and JVLR. The civic authorities also reported 45 tree collapses in Mumbai and seven in Navi Mumbai.
