Surat city turned into a waterlogged maze on Tuesday after a torrential downpour dumped over 13 inches of rain in just 24 hours, the highest single-day rainfall recorded anywhere in Gujarat this monsoon, according to New Indian Express.
Streets were flooded, traffic crawled, and in a tragic turn, three youths were swept away in a surging creek at Puna-Kumbharia. While two were rescued by fire brigade teams, an 18-year-old remains missing.
Search operations are being carried out on a war footing as emergency crews continue combing the area.
The relentless rains have battered the city since early Tuesday, overwhelming drainage systems and paralysing large parts of the textile and diamond hub.
Kamrej taluka recorded 10.71 inches, while Palsana and Bardoli followed with 8.19 and 6.57 inches, respectively, all within Surat district.
Multiple localities, including Varachha, Katargam and Udhna, reported waist-deep water and intermittent power outages.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the district and warned of more extreme rainfall in the coming days.
“Surat remains under a high-risk rainfall zone for the next 48 hours,” said Ashok Kumar Das from the IMD, cautioning fishermen against venturing into the sea as winds may reach up to 50 kmph.
Over 542 people have already been rescued from flooded areas in Surat, as part of a wider state operation affecting nearly 3,000 people. Local administration has asked schools to remain shut in several areas and is on standby for possible evacuations.
Emergency teams worked round the clock on Tuesday to drain water from key roads and low-lying colonies. Yet, as the rain continued late into the evening, several parts of the city remained submerged.
Tuesday’s deluge is part of a larger weather pattern affecting much of south and central Gujarat.
However, the scale and intensity of rainfall in Surat, already the wettest district this season, is raising concerns over civic preparedness and infrastructure resilience.
With more rain forecast through the week and one youth still unaccounted for, Surat faces a critical stretch ahead.