India: Heavy rains disrupt travel across Mumbai September 23

Event

Heavy rains occurring overnight have caused disruptions to road and rail travel across Mumbai (Maharashtra state) on Wednesday, September 23. Over 280mm (11in) of rainfall over the past 24 hours has inundated a number of low lying areas and several roads have been blocked by vehicles breaking down in floodwaters. A number of bus services operating throughout the city have been diverted. A spokesperson for the Central Railway has reported flooding on the Sion-Kurla and Chunabhatti-Kurla lines. Train services have also been suspended on the CSMT-Thane and CSMT-Vashi lines. A number of residents in the Kranti Nagar area have been evacuated due to increasing water levels.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert (the third highest in a four-tier scale) for heavy rainfall in parts of Mumbai and Thane (Maharashtra state) over Wednesday.

Context

There are several monsoon seasons in various parts of the country which pose the potential for widespread flooding and landslides in the coastal, valley and low-lying regions; the most notable of these is the summer monsoon season, lasting roughly from April through September. Flooding can displace thousands of people as well as render roads and bridges impassable. 

Advice

Those in Mumbai are advised to monitor local weather reports in the near term, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, anticipate power and transportation disruptions, and avoid wading or driving through floodwater.