Navratri festivities in Mumbai, Thane, and nearby regions were dampened on Thursday as heavy rains, thunderstorms, and lightning descended upon the city. The Regional Meteorological Department (RMC) issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Pune, and other areas, signaling the possibility of intense weather in the coming days.
The IMD also issued a nowcast warning, indicating that moderate spells of rain were likely to occur in Mumbai over the next 3-4 hours. Reports of waterlogging emerged from various areas, including Elphinstone Road and Bharatmata Junction in Lalbaug.
The RMC further predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall, and gusty winds (30-40kmph) at isolated locations. The weather department extended the yellow alert into Friday, October 11, with predictions of heavy to very heavy rains in specific Mumbai areas including Thane-Mulund, Mulund-Kurla-Ghatkopar, Dadar, Worli, Andheri-Bandra, Bandra-Dadar, BKC, and Borivali-Andheri.
Independent weather enthusiast Rushikesh Angre, posting on X, warned residents in interior MMR areas to stay safe, anticipating rain within the hour in Mumbai. Another X user, known as Mumbai Nowcast, urged Mumbaikars to seek shelter indoors, describing the downpour as “violent thunderstorms with the highest intensity and lightning striking the ground.”
The forecast for the next 24 to 48 hours predicts partly cloudy skies with the possibility of rain or thunderstorms towards evening or night. Social media was abuzz with videos of the heavy rains and thunderstorms, highlighting the severity of the weather event.
In a broader context, the IMD forecast predicts isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall activity over Kerala and Mahe, as well as Tamil Nadu, over the course of the week. Similar conditions are expected in Karnataka, Goa, ghat areas of Maharashtra, the Gujarat region, and Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Meghalaya over the next 3-4 days.
