Mumbai rain live updates: IMD issues red alert for Mumbai, Thane and other districts, 40-minute average delay at airport

MUmbai rain down unrecorded updates: Amid the on-going heavily rainfall in bombay, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), acting as the District Disaster Management Authority, has announced the closure of all government, semi-government, and BMC offices within its jurisdiction today, with the exception of essential services.In addition, all private offices and establishments in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have been urged to direct employees to work from home wherever possible and to avoid unnecessary travel, the BMC said.As the city continues to struggle with heavy rainfall and waterlogging, all schools and colleges in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, encompassing both the city and its suburbs, will remain closed on Tuesday, August 19, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on Monday evening.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai, signalling extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas.Meanwhile, IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory for passengers flying out of Mumbai due to the heavy rain and waterlogging. "With Mumbai drenched in heavy showers, several routes to the airport are witnessing waterlogging and sluggish traffic. This has, in turn, led to operational challenges, with delays in both departures and arrivals and we truly regret the inconvenience this may cause. If you're scheduled to travel, we recommend leaving a little earlier and keeping an eye on your flight status via our app or website," the advisory stated.Several routes to Mumbai airport are experiencing waterlogging, causing slow-moving traffic and operational difficulties. Passengers are advised to monitor their flight status via the IndiGo app or website, as delays in departures and arrivals are expected.Impact of heavy rain in Mumbai and other districts• Several parts of Mumbai recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, with Vikhroli in the eastern suburbs receiving the highest at 255.5 mm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.• In the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am, the Santacruz observatory (western suburbs) registered 238.2 mm, while the Colaba observatory (south Mumbai) recorded 110.4 mm. The island city, eastern suburbs, and western suburbs saw average rainfall of 186.43 mm, 208.78 mm, and 238.19 mm, respectively.• The IMD forecast for Tuesday warned of “very heavy to extremely heavy” rainfall across Mumbai and its suburbs, accompanied by gusty winds of 45–55 kmph. With a 3.75-metre high tide at 9:16 am and another of 3.14 metres expected at 8:53 pm, the rain was expected to worsen traffic congestion.• Heavy overnight showers caused waterlogging in low-lying areas, including Dadar, Matunga, Parel, Sion, Hindmata, Andheri Subway, Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai-Gujarat Highway, and the Eastern Freeway.• Residents also reported waterlogging on railway tracks in some areas, though railway officials clarified that water levels remained below track height. Central Railway services were delayed by about 10 minutes on the main line and 5 minutes on the harbour line, while Western Railway services were slightly delayed due to poor visibility.• A technical fault in the signalling system between Ambivali and Shahad stations further affected suburban train operations early in the morning.• The Directorate of Higher Education declared a holiday for all senior colleges in the Konkan region, covering Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, due to the heavy rainfall.• On Tuesday, commuters across Mumbai again faced severe disruption, with roads submerged, traffic slowed, and BEST buses diverted at certain locations.• Areas like Borivali, Andheri, Sion, Dadar, and Chembur saw particularly heavy showers overnight and into the morning, leading to waterlogging at places such as Gandhi Market. Civic officials said the island city recorded heavier rainfall than the suburbs between 5 am and 6 am on Tuesday.