Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Mumbai was flooded on Monday as the southwest monsoon made its earliest arrival in 75 years—nearly two weeks ahead of schedule—signalling what could be a disruptive season ahead.
The normal date for monsoon's arrival in Mumbai is June 11.
One person died in a lightning strike, while 48 people were rescued from inundated areas as heavy rains battered several places in Maharashtra.
The office of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said 25 houses partially collapsed in Baramati. The city also faced the brunt of tree falls, short circuits, and wall collapses Monday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday morning upgraded the existing ‘orange’ alert to ‘red’ alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri districts, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall coupled with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds at isolated places.
The red alert will be in place in these districts till Tuesday morning.
“Citizens in areas prone to heavy rainfall, including those with a high probability of heavy rainfall, should be cautious, seek shelter in safe locations, and follow local administration instructions,” Deputy CM Ajit Pawar appealed to citizens in Baramati, Indapur, Pune and other districts affected by heavy rainfall.
While reviewing the situation in rural areas of Pune district, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar monitored the situation in other districts through the state disaster management and control room and has instructed officials to conduct immediate surveys to assess damage to agriculture, crops, livestock, and homes.
Metro officials suspended operations on the Metro line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, between Acharya Atre Chowk and Worli on Monday, after heavy rains inundated an underground station in Mumbai.
Train services in the Mumbai region, the city’s lifelines, are currently affected due to heavy rainfall, which has led to the overflow of BMC drainage lines, according to Mumbai Central Railway. High tide conditions are exacerbating the situation by causing waterlogging on railway lines throughout the area.
Several flights were delayed due to heavy rain this morning. Airlines such as Air India and SpiceJet issued an advisory for the passengers.
Hundreds of social media users posted videos of waterlogged streets, flooded subways to showcase their troubles.
Slamming the state government, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray jibed that the line had been aptly named "Aqua" since it "is under water today".
"The Metro station was inaugurated two weeks ago. Apparently, things are falling from the top (ceiling). We see that debris has fallen down. Were safety measures followed when it was being inaugurated," Thackeray said.
Streets, housing societies, railway tracks, underground metro line stations and hospitals have got waterlogged, for which Mumbaikars will not forgive this "corrupt gang", Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said.
"The first heavy rains of the season exposed the corruption in the state government and municipal administration. Office-goers faced immense hardships commuting. Despite Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation spending crores of rupees annually on drain cleaning and pre-monsoon work, the situation remains the same every year," Sapkal claimed.
Delhi
With a thunderstorm battering the city in the early hours of Sunday (May 26, 2025) and dumping 81.4 mm of rain in just a few hours, Delhi recorded its wettest May since record-keeping began in 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
In its weather forecast, the meteorological department said Delhi is likely to witness cloudy skies with the possibility of thunder, lightning, and rain.
Gusty winds measuring up to 30-50 kmph, reaching up to even 60 kmph are also expected.
On Sunday, the rain tore through the membrane shade at the arrival forecourt of Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday morning.
A video of the incident that has surfaced online shows a large portion of the canopy crashing onto the pavement under the weight of the accumulated rainwater, which splashed onto parked vehicles and flooded the nearby area.
The weather has disrupted flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport due to inclement weather.
A source said to the PTI that 49 flights, including 17 international flights, were diverted between 11:30 pm on Saturday and 4 am on Sunday due to bad weather.
Several road stretches of the city, including Moti Bagh, Minto Road, Delhi Cantonment and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg were partially submerged, while trees and electricity poles were uprooted in several areas.
Officials will be taken to task if waterlogging occurs in areas they are responsible for, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta warned on Monday. She, however, asserted that the waterlogging situation remained under control this time despite heavy rain.
"I want the officers deputed to monitor waterlogging points to do their work properly or they may be the next to face action," she told reporters.
"Delhi has been witnessing waterlogging for years. There has been record rainfall thrice -- accompanied by thunderstorms. Despite that, the situation in the city remained under control," Gupta pointed out.
The chief minister also said that a nodal officer has been appointed for each waterlogging point. "Under their supervision, the drains are being surveyed. Wherever any deficiency is found, action will definitely be taken against the officer. Delhi roads will not get waterlogged like they used to be earlier."
Karnataka
Heavy monsoon rains lashed Karnataka's coastal belt for the third consecutive day on Monday, severely disrupting normal life in Dakshina Kannada district, prompting authorities to issue a red alert and deploy disaster response teams.
The red alert for coastal Karnataka will remain in force for the next five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
A wall collapsed in Belagavi due to heavy rains. A three-year-old girl died in the incident. Meanwhile, a four-year-old girl was also injured in the wall collapse.
Schools and colleges were shut in Mysuru and Kodagu districts of the state due to heavy rainfall.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka criticised deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the nodal minister for Bengaluru development, accusing him of being more interested in politics than governance.
“What Karnataka Congress promised: Brand Bengaluru, What Karnataka Congress delivered: Beach Bengaluru," he said.
BJP MLA Sunil Kumar Karkala lashed out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. “Bengaluru is drowning, and the govt is celebrating. What’s there to celebrate when you’ve murdered the city’s infrastructure?” he asked.
Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials were working on the ground to clear rainwater, clearing his government of any blame. “This happens with the first rains, leaves, flowers and even plastic items clog the drains. BBMP must act quickly to clear it,” he said, responding to criticism.
