Rains return to Mumbai after fortnight-long break

After a dry spell since early August, rains made a comeback in Mumbai on Tuesday morning, bringing relief from heat and humidity. Most parts of the city have been getting light to moderate rainfall with thunder from around 9.30 am, while some areas like Bandra and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) witnessed heavy spells of rain.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a partially cloudy sky with the possibility of light to moderate spells of rain and thundershowers in the city and suburbs for the next 24 hours starting this morning, an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. There will be a high tide of 4.70 meters in the Arabian Sea at 12.22 pm, he said.

In the last 24 hours (ending this morning), the island city and its eastern and western suburbs recorded 7.81 mm, 3.06 mm, and 3.62 mm of rainfall respectively, the official said. According to civic officials, there was no report of any major waterlogging anywhere in the city.

The public bus services of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) are running normally and the vehicles have not been diverted due to the showers, but there is some delay in the suburban train services of the Central Railway and Western Railway. Motorists complained that traffic has slowed down due to potholes on the city roads.

The showers have brought down the temperature, providing respite from the sweltering heat and humidity. There has been bright sunlight in the city over the past several days.