IMD places Mumbai on red alert as 'heavy to very heavy' rain predicted over the next 24 hours

MUmbai remained below the traction of heavily rain down on fri, with several areas recording more than 70 mm of rainfall in just five hours as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast "heavy to very heavy" showers over the next 24 hours and placed the city under a red alert for Saturday and Sunday.The IMD has warned of more intense showers over the next 24 hours and placed Mumbai, Thane and Palghar under a red alert for Saturday and Sunday.According to the weather department's district-wise forecast issued on Friday afternoon, Mumbai is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with isolated spells of extremely heavy rain on July 4 and 5. The forecast has been categorised as "very likely". Also Read | Parts of Mumbai receive heavy rainfall as IMD places city under ‘orange alert’‘Heavy to very heavy’ rainfall in MumbaiThe IMD has forecast "heavy to very heavy" rainfall in Mumbai and its suburbs over the next 24 hours, accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph.According to civic officials, several parts of the city recorded more than 70 mm of rainfall in just five hours. The highest rainfall of 73.8 mm was recorded at Supari Tank Municipal School in Bandra, followed by 72.2 mm in Prabhadevi, 70.8 mm in Bandra West and 69.4 mm in Parel.The city has been witnessing incessant rain since Friday morning, with occasional heavy spells inundating several low-lying areas.While authorities said Metro services, suburban trains and BEST buses were operating normally, commuters reported traffic snarls and delays on the local railway network. Also Read | Mumbai records over 204mm rainfall in last 24 hours; IMD issues ‘orange alert’Intensity of rains increasedMumbai has also been receiving heavy showers since around Thursday midnight. Officials said low-lying areas such as Dadar, Andheri, Goregaon and Parel witnessed waterlogging, though the accumulated water receded by Friday morning, PTI reported.The intensity of rainfall eased during the early morning hours before picking up again after 8 am in several parts of the city.According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai recorded more than 100 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Friday. The island city received an average of 126 mm of rain, while the eastern suburbs recorded 110 mm and the western suburbs 114 mm, the report added.The highest rainfall during the 24-hour period was recorded at Wadi Bunder with 150.2 mm, followed by Malabar Hill with 145.8 mm and Sandhurst Road with 140.8 mm.In the western suburbs, a rain gauge at Malpa Dongari Municipal School in Andheri recorded 136.6 mm of rainfall, while Powai received 124 mm, the highest in the eastern suburbs, the BMC said.Amid the heavy rains, a man died after falling into a manhole in Chandivali in the western suburbs on Thursday, marking the second rain-related death this week. Earlier, on Tuesday, an 11-year-old boy was killed after a tree fell on his school bus in the eastern suburb of Chembur.(Inputs from PTI and ANI)