Floods, flight delays, power cuts & more: Wettest August in half a decade challenges Mumbai's might

Relentless rain battered Mumbai and its suburbs on Tuesday, flooding roads, halting trains, disrupting flights and triggering large-scale evacuations. Over 400 residents near the Mithi river were shifted to safety as water levels neared the danger mark, while a man was electrocuted in Bhandup, reported TOI.

With several subways submerged, 135 bus routes diverted, 11 flights rerouted, and power outages reported across neighbourhoods, the city experienced its wettest August in five years — recording 837.3 mm of rainfall in just five and a half days.

Authorities have declared holidays for schools and colleges in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Palghar, as IMD continues to hold Mumbai under an orange alert for Wednesday.

Roads submerged, buses diverted

Traffic crawled through several parts of Mumbai as arterial routes went under water. Hindmata, Dadar TT, Trombay, Byculla, Wadala and Sewri were among the worst-hit stretches.

According to the report, Poisar and Malad subways had to be closed, while 135 BEST bus routes were diverted — one of the largest diversions in recent years. Motorists waded through gridlock as rainwater flooded Maharashtra Nagar, Antop Hill and Gandhi Market. A newly opened Rs 85 crore flyover at Vikhroli, inaugurated barely two months ago, was also submerged.

In Goregaon, floodwaters outside Oberoi Mall became a makeshift swimming pool for some residents.

Rail and air hit hard

Local train services bore the brunt of the deluge. Harbour line operations between Sion, Kurla and Chunabhatti were suspended due to track flooding, leaving Central Railway commuters stranded.

On the Western line, services ran with minor delays. Flight schedules at Mumbai airport went haywire, with 11 diversions and 24 aborted landings reported till 7 pm, noted TOI. The ripple effect pushed several evening flights off schedule, causing long delays for passengers.

Reports of water leakage at Bandra-Kurla Complex metro station also surfaced, though Metro 3 officials said services remained unaffected.

Power cuts and evacuations

Large parts of the suburbs spent hours without electricity. Kurla was among the worst hit, with two substations of Adani Electricity shut down, affecting nearly 1,000 homes.

TOI further reported that power outages also hit Jogeshwari, Kandivli, Ghatkopar, Andheri, Mira Road and Vile Parle. Meanwhile, residents from landslide-prone Surya Nagar in Vikhroli and Khindipada in Bhandup were moved to safer SRA complexes.

In Thane, a 70-year-old man was injured in a landslide and admitted to hospital, while waterlogging was reported across Kalwa, Mumbra, Diva and Ghodbunder.

Neighbouring regions under water

The downpour did not spare Navi Mumbai, where subways remained flooded despite extra pumps, and Nhava Sheva police station was inundated.

Around 500 stranded residents from Panvel were shifted to shelters. In Mira-Bhayander’s Uttan area, boats were deployed to rescue 15 families as water entered homes. In Mira Road, craters and waterlogging choked traffic all the way to Dahisar toll plaza.

Vasai, Nalasopara and Virar also reported waist-deep flooding; in one slum cluster, about 35 people were ferried to safety after water levels touched 5 feet.