Trains crawl, roads waterlogged, buses diverted as Mumbai reels under heavy rain; 'orange' alert upgraded to 'red'

TOI City Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: May 26, 2025, 13:43 IST

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Mumbai experienced significant disruption due to incessant rainfall, leading to widespread waterlogging and traffic congestion. The IMD issued a 'red' alert, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad. Train services on the Central Railway and Harbour Line were severely impacted, with road traffic also heavily affected in low-lying areas, prompting bus diversions and road closures.

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MUMBAI: Incessant rainfall on Monday brought widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion, and local train delays across Mumbai, with the island city bearing the brunt of the disruption.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded its weather alert for the day from an 'orange' to a 'red' warning, signaling a high likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall in the region.Mumbai Rains Live UpdatesThe alert now covers Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad districts.

According to officials, continuous heavy rainfall since early morning led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas of Mumbai and on railway tracks. This caused significant disruptions to both road traffic and suburban train services during peak commuting hours.

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Between 9and 10am alone, Nariman Point received a staggering 104mm of rainfall, one of the highest hourly readings this season. Other parts of South Mumbai also recorded intense precipitation.Suburban train services, especially on the Central Railway (CR) and Harbour Line, were impacted due to waterlogged tracks at multiple stations. The Western Railway reported near-normal operations, though commuters reported minor delays.

Local road traffic, particularly in low-lying areas, was severely affected due to water accumulation, leading to bus diversions, congestion on key arterial roads, and temporary road closures.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the intensity of rainfall reduced after 10am but the sky remained overcast. The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds (30–40kmph) across parts of Mumbai for the next 24 hours.A high tide of 4.75 metre is expected at 11.24am, raising concerns about further waterlogging.

Major Waterlogging Points in Mumbai (as of May 26 morning):

Nariman Point (104mm rainfall in 1 hour)
Masjid, Byculla, Dadar, Matunga, Badlapur – Waterlogging on Central Railway tracks
King's Circle, Mantralaya, Dadar TT East, Parel TT, Kalachowki, Chinchpokli, Dadar station
Gandhi Market – Affected BEST bus routes
Sion Road No. 24 – Flooded, buses diverted
Hindmata Junction – Major waterlogging, affecting buses and traffic
CSMT Platform (Central Railway) Partially submerged

Traffic and transport disruptions:Rail disruptions:

Harbour Line: Train traffic suspended between Wadala and CSMT since 10.25am due to waterlogging at Masjid station.
Central Line: Slow train movement at multiple stations due to track flooding.
Acharya Atre Chowk Station on Metro Line 3 closed due to waterlogging.

BEST bus Diversions (BEST)

Gandhi Market: Buses diverted via Bhau Daji Road (from 9.45am)
Sion Road No. 24: Routes 341 & 312 rerouted via Sion Main Road signal
Wadala Flyover: Routes 117 & 174 diverted via Wadala Church (from 9am)
Hindmata Area: Routes 40, 212 & 368 diverted from Sharda Cinema (since 9.30am)
Bus route number C-53 has been disrupted from 10.30am onwards due to waterlogging at Kalamboli Bus Station, near the Kalamboli Fire Brigade.

Traffic congestion

Kemps Corner (near Twinkle Stores) – Road surface damaged, traffic halted
King’s Circle Bridge (Matunga) and Ram Nagar Subway (Vakola) – Disrupted traffic flow
Eastern Express Highway (Sion) – Heavy congestion
Western Express Highway – Slow traffic at Malad, Goregaon to Vile Parle stretch
New Link Road, Malad – Traffic jam at Mith Chowky, Evershine Nagar & Infiniti Mall junctions
Aarey Colony Road, Elphinstone Flyover (Indiabulls) – Congestion reported
Hindmata Junction and Bhoiwada – Severe traffic impact

(With agency inputs)

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