High Alert Issued for Mumbai; Very Heavy Rainfall Warning for Sunday, Monday

 High Alert Issued for Mumbai; Very Heavy Rainfall Warning for Sunday, Monday

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday issued high alert for all authorities in Mumbai in view of expected very heavy rainfall in the city on June 13-14. As a precautionary measure, the Navy, Coast Guard and NDRF have been asked to remain on standby.

The BMC has also asked all its staff members to report to duty and warned BEST and Adani electricity substations about the expected weather condition. The fire brigade has also been alerted.

This came after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its Friday evening report that Mumbai and neighbouring areas are “very likely” to receive extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places on Sunday. It also issued a similar ‘red alert’ for Ratnagiri and Raigad districts in coastal Maharashtra. A few places in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane may receive heavy rains on Saturday too, it said.Rainfall of more than 204.5 mm in 24 hours is considered as extremely heavy. “Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts are very likely to receive extremely heavy rains at isolated places on Sunday. Raigad and Ratnagiri districts have similar alert for Saturday as well,” said the Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD here. Mumbai and Thane districts would “very likely receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places (on Saturday),” it added. In the rest of Maharashtra, there would be moderate rains with thunderstorms and lightning in the next two days with varied intensity, the forecast said.Maharashtra’s Raigad district received low rainfall on Thursday and Friday, with Shrivardhan recording the highest at 105 mm in the last 24 hours and Mahad at the other end of the list with just 5 mm, officials said. Incidentally, the district administration had issued a red alert on the night of Wednesday warning citizens of heavy rains. The district received 34.14 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30am on Friday, officials added.The financial capital of India was hit by monsoon woes on Monday with the first day of heavy rainfall. Traffic jams for hours, waterlogging on arterial streets brought life to a standstill in Mumbai.