Heavy rains pound Mumbai, Pune

MUMBAI: Normal life was thrown out of gear in Mumbai with the city being lashed by heavy rains in the last 24 hours, even as incessant showers continued to hit other cities like Pune and Nashik in Maharashtra.

According to the India Meteorological Department ( IMD), Santacruz recorded 94.4 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours while Colaba recorded 48.3 mm rains during the same period.

The IMD has predicted "very heavy" showers for the mega-polis in the next 24 hours.

"We expect continuous intermittent rains for the city (Mumbai) and suburbs and very heavy rainfall in certain areas in the next 24 hours," an IMD official said.

Some low-lying areas in the country's financial capital, particularly in Central Mumbai, witnessed water logging with people wading about in knee-deep waters in Dadar, Parel, Worli.

The situation was similar in Andheri and other suburbs.

Suburban trains on all the three lines - Western Railway, Central Railway and Harbour (of the Central Railway) were running 15-20 minutes behind schedules due to water-logging on tracks in some sections during the day.

Meanwhile, incessant rains continued to lash Pune and many parts of western Maharashtra since last night, bringing a long awaited relief to the region which had been experiencing a chronically deficient rainfall.

Steady showers that started in Pune region yesterday grew into a heavy downpour by night and continued this morning, marking first vigorous monsoon activity of the season since last month.

The wet spell also resulted in an increase in water levels of the four dams that supply water to Pune city ---namely Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar.

Pune city recorded 73 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, MeT department reported.

Other parts of western Maharashtra, including Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli, too have been experiencing heavy rains since yesterday, reports said.

Meanwhile, Nashik city and its adjoining areas also experienced good downpour since yesterday after a dry spell last month.