IMD issues red alert; heavy rainfall likely in Mumbai, adjoining districts on Sunday

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’, warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts on Sunday, extending the wet patch in the region.

“Extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts with very intense spells in some areas. Coastal districts such as Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, along with the ghat regions of Nashik, are also expected to witness heavy showers,” an IMD official said.

The department updated its forecast on Saturday afternoon, stating that compared to the coastal belt and parts of north Konkan, the rest of the state, including north Maharashtra, central Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha, is likely to receive only low-intensity rainfall on Sunday.

The weather bureau on Saturday morning had issued an ‘orange alert’, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai during the day. The city skies remained overcast through the day, with some areas receiving light to moderate showers.

The island city recorded an average rainfall of 30.07 mm in the last 24 hours ending at 8 am, while eastern and western suburbs received 26.12 mm and 9.99 mm rainfall during the period, a civic official said.

The traffic on the city roads was normal in the morning, while the local train services experienced some delays.