It literally came like a bolt from the blue as India’s business hub of Mumbai and its suburbs received 200-plus mm rainfall accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning in barely three hours past midnight as most people slept.
This was a sort of mini cloudburst - resulting in sudden inundation in several places in Mumbai and the neighbouring Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts.
There was heavy rainfall warning for Mumbai and the coastal Konkan belt of Maharashtra, however, the intensity came as a surprise.
“Last night, Mumbai faced a weather system of extreme heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning, some parts crossing 200 mm rainfall in a span of three hours. These were mini cloudbursts in a short span with full fury of nature,” state Tourism, Environment and Protocol Minister Aaditya Thackeray said.
During the last 24 hours ending 0830 hrs Sunday, the Mumbai-based Regional Meteorological Centre’s Colaba observatory recorded 196.8 mm rainfall and Santacruz 234.9 mm rainfall.
Similarly, high intensity rainfall was reported from suburban areas of the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR).
“Belapur in Navi Mumbai recorded 201.2 mm rainfall, Thane 180 mm and Palghar 236.6 mm,” said KS Hosalikar, Head SID, Climate & Research Services, Pune.
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park too received heavy rainfall as water gushed out from the Mithi and Dahisar rivers.
Several people living along the Mithi river had to be evacuated even though heavy damage was reported inside the park area and a deer swam out on the roads.
The Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary too received heavy downpour, reports reaching here said.
Several villages in North Konkan areas of Palghar, Thane and Raigad were cut off because of inundation even as power and water supply was hit.
The IMD has asked fishermen not to venture into the Arabian Sea as it could be choppy.