Mumbai rains break city's over 100-year record, receives a month of rainfall in 24 hours

As several parts of the financial capital remain flooded, India Meteorological Department data has shown that Mumbai has broken its 107-year-record of receiving highest rains in the month of May.

As per IMD data, the weather agency's Colaba observatory recorded 135.4 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am Monday, categorised as "very heavy rain" (115.6 mm–204.4 mm). In contrast, the Santacruz observatory in the suburbs recorded 33.5 mm.

Colaba also broke the all-time rainfall record for May, logging 295 mm so far—surpassing the previous record of 279.4 mm set in May 1918. Even during Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021, the station had recorded slightly less rain at 257.8 mm for the month of May. Meanwhile, Santacruz has received 197.8 mm of rain this month.


Water collection in different wards of Mumbai:
Between 9:00 am and 10:00 am on Monday, Nariman Point Fire Station recorded the highest rainfall at 104 mm. This was followed by A Ward Office (86 mm), Colaba Pumping Station (83 mm), Municipal Head Office (80 mm), Colaba Fire Station (77 mm), Grant Road Eye Hospital (67 mm), Memonwada Fire Station (65 mm), Malabar Hill (63 mm), and D Ward (61 mm), reported TOI quoting BMC’s Automatic Weather Stations (AWS).

In the eastern suburbs, Mankhurd Fire Station and MPS School recorded 16 mm, Nutan Vidya Mandir 14 mm, and Collector Colony 13 mm. In the western suburbs, Supari Tank, Gazadarbandh Storm Water Pump Station, and Khar Danda received 29 mm; SWM Workshop, HE Ward Office, and Vile Parle Fire Station saw 22 mm.

Waterlogging was reported from Breach Candy, Kemps Corner, Sion Circle, Dadar TT, Hindmata, JJ Marg Post Office, Kurne Chowk, Bindu Madhav Junction (Worli), and Five Gardens.

Earliest rains since 2001:
Lashing rains swamped India's financial capital Mumbai on Monday as the annual monsoon rains arrived some two weeks earlier than usual, according to weather forecasters.

Heavy rains cooling temperatures -- welcomed by farmers for their crops but which cause havoc each year in cities by flooding transport infrastructure -- are normally expected in the southwestern state of Maharashtra in early June.

In a statement, IMD said "The Southwest Monsoon has advanced to Mumbai today, May, 26 2025, against the normal date of advancement, June 11. Thus, the monsoon has arrived in Mumbai 16 days earlier than usual. This marks the earliest monsoon advancement over Mumbai during the period 2001–2025."

This is the earliest onset in Mumbai in the last 75 years," IMD scientist Sushma Nair said. Nair said southwest monsoon arrived in Mumbai on May 29 in 1956. It arrived on the same date in 1962 and 1971, she added.