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Mumbai: Heavy rain lashed Mumbai and its suburbs early Monday morning, leading to widespread waterlogging on key roads and low-lying areas, causing major traffic snarls across the city and crippling the normal life of city residents.
Some of the train services were cancelled and the Mumbai airport diverted 27 flights to other airports. The city recorded over 300 mm of rain at various places in six hours from 1 am to 7 am, according to the civic officials.
Several areas, including Andheri, Kurla, Bhandup, King’s Circle, Vile Parle and Dadar, among other locations, reported significant water accumulation. The incessant rain overwhelmed storm drains, causing traffic to come to a standstill in many parts of India’s financial capital.
Vehicles were seen drifting in the water in some locations as people waded through knee-deep waters.
“More than 300 millimetres of rain has been recorded at different places in the six hours from midnight yesterday to 7 am today. Heavy rains have caused waterlogging in some low-lying areas and suburban rail services have also been disrupted,” the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
Schools closed: The BMC announced a half-day holiday for government and private schools and colleges under the civic body’s jurisdiction. The decision on the afternoon session of classes will be announced later.
27 flights diverted: Due to heavy rain and low visibility led to the suspension of runway operations at the Mumbai airport, 27 flights were diverted from 2.22 am to 3.40 am on Monday.
Flights were diverted to cities such as Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Indore, among others, the official said, adding that currently, priority is being given to arriving flights.
Trains cancelled: The Central Railway cancelled MMR-CSMT (12110), Pune-CSMT (11010), Pune-CSMT Deccan (12124), Pune-CSMT Deccan (11007) and CSMT-Pune Intercity Express (12127) trains.
Local train services were also stopped briefly and resumed later after water receded from the tracks.
Airlines issue advisory: Given the unfavourable weather conditions in Delhi, the Vistara airline advised commuters to plan their journey to the airport accordingly. “Heavy traffic congestion and slow vehicle movement are expected en route to Mumbai Airport today due to weather conditions. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport,” the airline said in a statement.
Traffic jams across the city: Highways and key roads in the city that are not submerged saw heavy traffic during the rush hours on Monday morning. Visuals from the Western Expressway showed long stretches of vehicles struggling to navigate.
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