Mumbai: Heavy rain continued to lash Mumbai on Wednesday, inundating several low-lying areas, triggering tree fall incidents and pushing rainfall in parts of the eastern suburbs well past the 150 mm mark within 12 hours.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red nowcast warning for Mumbai around 12.30 pm on Wednesday, warning of intense spells of rain over the next few hours. The city continues to remain under an orange alert till July 5, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places. Neighbouring Thane has been placed under a red alert for July 4.The downpour also brought some relief to the city’s strained water reserves, with lake levels witnessing a marginal rise and Powai lake overflowing. Powai lake supplies water only for industrial use.At 170 mm, Mankhurd recorded the highest rainfall for the 24 hours ending 8 am on July 1. Chembur recorded 169 mm, Govandi 163 mm and Byculla 162 mm.Other areas that received heavy showers included Mumbai Central (142 mm), Bandra-Kurla Complex (132 mm), Borivli (126 mm), Lower Parel (125.4 mm) and Dindoshi (123 mm).Rain continued through the day. Between 8 am and 9 pm on July 1, IMD stations recorded intense rainfall, with Mulund topping the chart at 166 mm, followed by Bhandup (155 mm), Powai (152 mm) and Vikhroli (152 mm).In the western suburbs, Santacruz recorded 141 mm and Andheri 135 mm. In the city, Lower Parel recorded 84 mm, followed by Matunga (82 mm), Wadala (78 mm) and Dadar (74 mm).The current meteorological analysis and numerical weather guidance indicate that an offshore trough at mean sea level extending from south Gujarat to Karnataka is likely to persist during the week.“An upper air cyclonic circulation over north Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood, extending between 1.5 km and 7.6 km above mean sea level and tilting southwestwards with height, is also present. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining regions around July 3, 2026. In addition, a trough extending from this cyclonic circulation over the north Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood to the northeast Arabian Sea, across south Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, north Maharashtra and Gujarat between 4.5 km and 7.6 km above mean sea level, is also active,” the IMD said, pointing to the reasons for the ongoing wet spell.The persistent rain led to waterlogging at several vulnerable stretches, including SV Road in Andheri and Lokhandwala Circle, slowing vehicular movement during the day.In Navi Mumbai, a Dharavi teenager, Ashraf Shaikh (17), was drowned in a pond at the foothills of the Kharghar hills behind Bharati Vidyapeeth. A group of teenagers from Dharavi were on a monsoon trip to the area. Some of them had entered the pond for a swim.Amid the disruption, the rains brought encouraging news for Mumbai’s water supply. The combined stock in the seven lakes supplying drinking water to the city increased from 6.75% on Tuesday to 7.18% on Wednesday, offering some relief after weeks of dwindling reserves and the ongoing 10% water cut. The rainfall also caused Powai Lake to overflow at around 5.30 am on Wednesday. The lake, which has a storage capacity of 545 crore litres, is not part of Mumbai’s potable water supply and is used for industrial purposes.
