Mumbai Monsoon Arrives 13 Days Late, Triggers Red Alert and Severe Waterlogging

The southwest monsoon finally reached Mumbai on June 24, arriving 13 days after its typical June 10 onset date. The delayed arrival brought heavy rainfall and widespread waterlogging across the city, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for Mumbai and Palghar early Wednesday morning, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, intense to very intense rainfall, and gusty winds reaching 40-60 kmph. The alert was later downgraded to orange at 7 am.

Rainfall across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region was severe, with the city recording over 300 mm in the 24 hours between 8 am Tuesday and 8 am Wednesday—classified by the IMD as "extremely heavy" (above 204.4 mm). Nair Hospital in central Mumbai recorded the highest rainfall at 78.96 mm, followed by N M Joshi Marg-Lower Parel at 78.4 mm. Waterlogging was particularly acute in areas including Matunga, Dadar, and Andheri, with visuals showing vehicles wading through flooded streets and the Andheri subway being shut due to flooding. The Dadar railway station, where Central and Western suburban lines intersect, was also waterlogged.

The monsoon's advance into Maharashtra came after remaining relatively stable in Harne (South Konkan) and Solapur for two weeks. The IMD had forecast on June 22 that conditions were favorable for the monsoon to progress into remaining parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar within 48 hours. By June 23, the monsoon had expanded into districts including Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, and parts of Raigad, with the northern boundary passing through Alibaug, Pune, Latur, and Nizamabad.

The monsoon brought mixed relief and disruption to the city. While all major subways remained open, suburban railway services operated normally, and BEST bus services functioned without interruption on Tuesday, traffic congestion occurred on several major roads and the Andheri subway required closure on Wednesday. A retaining wall collapsed next to a residential building in Vikhroli West on Tuesday night. The IMD issued advisories for fishermen along the South Maharashtra-Goa coast to avoid venturing into the sea from June 22-26 due to squally conditions and wind speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting up to 60 kmph.

While the monsoon's arrival ended the intense heat that had prevailed, forecasts indicated continued heavy rainfall over Konkan through June 26, with thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall expected in Marathwada through June 24. Minimum temperatures across most of Maharashtra, aside from eastern Vidarbha, remained elevated above 26°C. The meteorological department warned of potential disruptions to transport services, localised flooding in low-lying and urban areas, flash floods, damage to standing crops and horticulture, and rough sea conditions along the coast.