Mumbai Rains: Pre-Monsoon Drizzles Lead To 41 Tree-Uprooting, 72 Structures Collapse In Couple Of Days
Mumbai has been facing pre-monsoon showers along with thunderstorms for the past couple of days. The fire department reported that the heavy rains and thunderstorms in the Vasai-Virar region led to the uprooting of at least 41 trees and caused damage to roads and structures. In addition, twelve tree branches fell in the city and one in the eastern suburbs, while 72 houses suffered partial or total collapse. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported in these incidents according to reports by Hindustan Times.
In the 24 hours ending at 8.30 pm on Wednesday, Mumbai experienced rainfall of 1.8mm at the Santacruz weather station and 3mm at Colaba. Wind speeds varied between 50 and 60 kmph, accompanied by thunderstorms. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) extended a yellow alert—signifying light to moderate rains—through Thursday, anticipating a subsiding western disturbance afterward, as noted by scientist Sushma Nair.
Thunderstorms and lightning hit areas including Borivali and Dahisar in the morning, while by evening, Prabhadevi, BKC, Santacruz, Powai, Vikhroli, Mulund, Vasai, Virar, and Mumbra experienced heavy rainfall. Waterlogging affected several areas, notably the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road. Despite slow-moving traffic, no severe jams were reported, with police ensuring a smooth flow amidst challenging visibility and delays.
Heavy thunderstorms led to a temporary shutdown of flight operations for eight minutes at both Mumbai's domestic and international airports. Additionally, Western Railway services faced interruptions for about 30 minutes due to a large piece of cloth that fell onto the overhead equipment (OHE) and cables between Churchgate and Marine Lines stations at 4:25 PM, disrupting the power supply. After resolving this issue, another complication arose when a tree branch fell on the OHE cable at Mahalaxmi, which took another 20 to 25 minutes to clear. The delays had a ripple effect during the evening peak hours, resulting in train delays of 10 to 12 minutes on lines heading towards Borivali and Virar.
Several areas in the city experienced waterlogging. Due to ongoing construction work on the Poisar river bridge in Kandivali, residents reported significant water accumulation around various societies, leading to calls for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take action. According to BMC data, various rainfall measurements were recorded throughout the city, with 14 mm noted near the C Ward office and 12 mm at Nariman Point and Memonwada in Masjid Bunder. The eastern suburbs saw 18 mm on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, with varying totals of 20 mm to 24 mm in other isolated areas. In the western suburbs, the BKC fire station reported 22 mm, Aarey Colony recorded 20 mm, and Versova noted 18 mm. These adverse weather conditions significantly impacted transportation and caused infrastructure challenges throughout the city.
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