IMD has issued an alert of heavy rain and strong winds in Mumbai and surrounding districts. Train traffic on the Western Railways has been disrupted due to waterlogging and many trains have been cancelled. The department has also warned of floods and landslides.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [भारत]July 8 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall with strong winds in Mumbai and adjoining districts on Wednesday. At the same time, waterlogging caused by heavy rains has disrupted rail traffic on the Western Railway network.
According to IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad, while extremely heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Palghar. There is also a possibility of winds at a speed of 60-70 kilometers per hour in some parts of the Konkan region. The weather office said the rainfall activity is expected to gradually reduce from July 9. There is a possibility of heavy rain at isolated places in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg also.
The IMD warned that the heavy rains may cause localized flooding in low-lying areas, flash floods, disruption of road, rail, air and ferry services, rough seas along the Konkan coast, landslides in sensitive areas and damage to crops and vulnerable structures. It advised people to avoid waterlogged areas, check traffic conditions before travelling, and exercise caution during Gewitter.
The Meteorological Department said that after the initial spell of heavy rain, light to moderate rain is expected in most of the districts from July 12.
Train services disrupted
Meanwhile, rail traffic in Mumbai Central division of Western Railway was affected due to waterlogging in Navsari-Maroli section following heavy rains. Train No. 20908 Bhuj-Dadar Sayajinagri Express, which started its journey on July 7, was short-terminated at Gandhidham and canceled between Gandhidham and Dadar.
Several trains running on Wednesday (July 8) have been cancelled, including Dadar-Bhuj Sayajinagri Express, Ahmedabad-Bandra Terminus Karnavati Express and its return service, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central AC Double Decker Express and its return service, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Tejas Express and its return service, and Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express and its return service.
Additionally, Train No. 16311 Sri Ganganagar-Thiruvananthapuram North Express, which started its journey on July 7, has been diverted via Surat-Jalgaon-Manmad-Igatpuri-Kalyan-Panvel route. Western Railways has advised passengers to check the latest train status through National Train Inquiry System (NTES) or Rail Madad (139) before starting their journey.
advice for farmers
On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) asked farmers to plan agricultural activities as per the weather conditions as rainfall is expected to reduce significantly in some parts of the state from July 8.
While parts of Maharashtra received heavy rainfall, the state agriculture department urged farmers in areas with less than satisfactory rainfall not to rush into sowing until adequate moisture is created in the soil. In a statement on Twitter, the CMO said, “Although Mumbai and western Maharashtra received heavy rainfall in early July, rainfall so far has been below average over various parts of the state. Notably, rainfall amounts are less over Khandesh (Dhule and Nandurbar), Madhya Maharashtra (Ahilyanagar and Solapur), parts of western Vidarbha and some areas of Marathwada.” (ANI)
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