Thick clouds and rumbling thunder ushered the torrential rain spells across the Indian city of Mumbai, from posh areas like Colaba to residential neighbourhoods like Bhayandar. Short phases of intense rainfall have also been reported from isolated areas of Mumbai, especially in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has classified Mumbai’s rainfall in recent hours as “extremely heavy”.
The rain has disrupted Mumbai’s local transport system, as several roads and areas of the city have experienced waterlogging. Mumbai’s lifelines, the local trains that connect the districts of the seaside metropolis, also remain cancelled or delayed in light of the heavy downpours.
Bewildered at what looks like nature’s fury, Mumbai residents took to social media to remark on 2020's latest unwelcome surprise. Stunning stills of lightning flashes shining over India’s “city of dreams” have also made their way to social media.
People also shared scary visuals from inside homes that have been flooded with water. Some also reached out to the authorities to fix electricity cuts and other issues, especially during these rainy days.
Mumbai is no stranger to heavy rain, as it is situated by the vast Arabian Sea and is famous for its intense rainy seasons. The magnitude of Mumbai rains have been known to cross the scary 300 mm bar in the past.
On 20 September 2016, Mumbai recorded 303.7 mm of rain. Prior to that, 312.4 mm rain was recorded on 23 September 1993, and 318.2 mm rain on 23 September 1981.