Red alert issued for Mumbai, Palghar and Thane as southwest monsoon hits Maharashtra coast

The Southwest Monsoon arrived two days ahead of its normal date bringing with it a deluge of rain prompting the India Meteorogical Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for Mumbai and nearby areas.

ANI photo

Mumbai: The Southwest Monsoon arrived two days ahead of its normal date bringing with it a deluge of rain prompting the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for Mumbai and nearby areas.

The weather department has forecast a 'very heavy to extremely heavy rain at isolated places' and issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad areas. While an orange alert has been issued for the next four days.

IMD issues red alert in Mumbai, Palghar & Thane districts for today and orange alert for the next four days pic.twitter.com/wG8uz5XdNT

— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2021

“Monsoon has arrived in Mumbai today, normal arrival date is June 10 every year so it has arrived prior to the average arrival date,” IMD Mumbai Deputy Director General Dr Jayanta Sarkar told ANI.

Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and suburbs causing water-logging at several places and disrupting local train services.

The Central railway said local train services between Kurla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus have been halted due to waterlogging on tracks. “Traffic stopped at 9.50 am, decision taken as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident. Traffic will resume as soon as water recedes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the authorities to ensure that the rainwater is drained out at the earliest and that transport resumes.