Mumbai: Heavy rains cause water logging in several areas, flights delayed

Heavy rainfall affected normal life in Mumbai on Friday, with water logging in several places, leading to traffic jams in the city.

Traffic on the Western Express Highway was badly affected, with particular difficulty for people travelling to the airport. Flights at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were delayed by 30 minutes, ANI reported quoting an airport official.

As many as 17 inbound flights were diverted, PTI reported. Four flights had to do a “go-around” before they could land, an airport spokesperson said.

There was heavy traffic jam on SV Road in Andheri West, Firstpost reported. Buses were diverted due to traffic. St Andrews’ Road and Linking Road in Bandra was also water logged. There was water logging outside Kurla railway station. The road leading to Chembur railway station was also submerged.

Heavy rains were concentrated in Dadar, Chembur, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Mankhurd and Navi Mumbai, Skymet reported.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department said Mumbai and some other areas in Maharashtra will continue to experience heavy rain for the next three days, ANI reported. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely to occur at a few places in the districts of Raigad,” it said. “Heavy rainfall likely to occur at isolated places in districts of Thane, Palghar and Mumbai in the next three days.”

The IMD also issued an orange alert for the districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, PTI reported. It said there would be heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai in the next 24 hours. “An orange alert is merely a warning for authorities to get prepared, while a red alert directs them to take action as the situation might turn severe,” a weather department official said.

The Colaba observatory recorded 19.1 millimeters of rain in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Friday, while the Santacruz weather station recorded 44 mm rainfall, PTI reported.