Thane shuts schools and anganwadis on Saturday amid IMD red alert for heavy rain
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) declared a holiday for all primary, middle, and high schools, as well as anganwadis, in Thane on Saturday, July 4, 2026, following a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The civic administration announced the preventive closure on Friday night to ensure the safety of students across the city. The IMD placed Thane, Mumbai, and Palghar districts under a red alert owing to the high likelihood of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across the Mumbai Metropolitan region.
According to meteorologists, the red warning will remain in place throughout the weekend, lasting until Monday at 8:30 AM. After this period, the intensity of the showers is forecast to gradually recede. A red warning is officially sounded when there is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 204.4 mm within a single day.
In neighboring Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also took emergency measures, declaring a holiday for the afternoon shift in all schools and colleges on Saturday. A civic bulletin issued by the BMC at noon urged citizens to remain indoors and travel only if necessary.
The region has been experiencing continuous heavy rain over the past week. Meteorologists have attributed these persistent spells to multiple active weather systems. The rain activity gathered pace on July 3 after a Low Pressure Area system developed over the northwest Bay of Bengal, which is expected to become more well-marked over the next couple of days.
Data from the IMD showed significant rainfall across the metropolitan region between Friday and Saturday morning. The Santacruz observatory recorded 110 mm of rain, while Colaba received 90 mm. The heaviest downpours were observed in Mumbai's western suburbs, with Bandra recording 151 mm of rain. Pali Hill and Ghatkopar followed closely with 143 mm, while the G/South ward office recorded 141 mm, Sion received 135 mm, Chembur recorded 127 mm, and Mankhurd registered 124 mm of rainfall.
