IMD issues red alert for Mumbai as heavy rains batter city; schools shut, roads choked and flights affected
PTC Web Desk: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Mumbai on Monday, marking the second such warning in just three days, as relentless rains continue to lash the city and its suburbs. Schools and colleges have been shut as a precautionary measure.
Several areas, including Borivali, Thane, Kalyan, Mulund, Powai, Santa Cruz, Chembur, Worli, Navi Mumbai, and Colaba are under the highest level of warning in the IMD’s four-tier system. The financial capital is once again grappling with severe waterlogging, traffic jams, and disruptions in local train services, with many low-lying areas inundated.
According to the IMD, intense downpours exceeding 15 mm per hour accompanied by overcast skies, gusty winds, and thunderstorms are expected through the day. The city witnessed a brief relief on Sunday with lighter rain, but the weather office has warned of persistent showers until August 23.
#WATCH Mumbai: Heavy rain causes waterlogging in many parts of the city.
(Visuals from Gandhi Market Sion) pic.twitter.com/2Cu6rR0RIy — ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2025
On Saturday, Mumbai had already recorded over 200 mm rainfall in several parts, prompting a red alert. The torrential downpour led to a landslide in Vikhroli Parksite area, leaving two persons dead and two others injured. Local train operations on both Central and Western Railway lines were severely affected due to waterlogged tracks.
Earlier on Sunday, the IMD had placed Mumbai under an orange alert, predicting heavy to very heavy rain along with wind speeds up to 60 kmph across Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Palghar districts.
Rain alerts across Maharashtra
Apart from Mumbai, the IMD has sounded alerts across multiple regions:
Red alert: Ratnagiri, Alibag, Raigad Reserve, Shrivardhan, Harnai, Dapoli, Konkan and Goa, Vidarbha, and parts of Madhya Maharashtra including Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Nashik. Extremely heavy rain with thunderstorms and strong squalls are forecast till August 19.
Orange alert: Chalisgaon, Jalgaon, Ajanta, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Dahanu, Sindhudurg, Malvan, Vengurla, Sawantwadi, and several coastal belts of Maharashtra. Gujarat region, including Saurashtra and Kutch, is also under orange for today and red alerts until August 20.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: The traffic slows down on Western Express Highway near Vile Parle as heavy rain lashes Mumbai city. pic.twitter.com/RXfqj5UpXP — ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2025
Yellow alert: Widespread warnings are in place for Nashik, Khandala, Pune, Mahabaleshwar, Kolhapur, Satara, Dhule, Malegaon, Baramati, Ahmednagar, Amaravati, Akola, Buldhana, Beed, Shirdi, Solapur, and Udgir, where heavy rainfall with thunderstorms is expected.
Meanwhile, Marathwada districts, including Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, and Parbhani are on orange alert today and yellow alert tomorrow, with forecasts of very heavy rainfall and lightning.
Mumbai’s temperature is likely to hover between 24°C and 26.5°C today, with heavy rains continuing through the week. The IMD has warned of prolonged wet conditions across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Konkan-Goa, and Vidarbha subdivisions till August 24.
Travel advisory
With the city drenched for the fourth consecutive day, airlines have issued advisories for passengers travelling to and from Mumbai. IndiGo and Akasa Air urged travellers to check flight status in advance due to traffic congestion and waterlogging near the airport.
#TravelUpdate: Due to heavy rainfall in certain parts of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa, and Pune, we anticipate slow moving traffic and congestion on roads leading to the airport.
To ensure a seamless travel experience, we request you to plan for additional travel time to reach the… — Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) August 18, 2025
Travel Advisory
⛈ #Mumbai is still under a blanket of rain, and the roads are moving at a gentler pace than usual.
Waterlogging has been reported in parts of the city, especially on key airport routes.
If you are travelling to the airport, we encourage you to plan ahead and… — IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) August 18, 2025
Both carriers posted alerts on their official X handles, cautioning that delays and disruptions may continue if the rain intensity persists.
- With inputs from agencies
