Heavy rain batters Mumbai disrupting rail, road traffic

Authorities in the Indian city of Mumbai issued a red alert on Tuesday and warned people not to venture out after heavy overnight rain in the financial hub brought flooding and travel chaos.

Some suburbs have seen more than 300mm of rain in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning and more heavy rain is expected over the next two days, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) official K.S. Hosalikar.

The department issued a red alert for the city for the next two days and civic authorities advised people not to venture out unless absolutely necessary.

Trains, already running skeleton services due to the novel coronavirus lockdown, were suspended in several places because of flooding and traffic was disrupted on some of the city's main roads.

A landslide swept down a slope onto a main road in a northern suburb, media reported.

There was no impact on operations at Mumbai's airport apart from reduced visibility, a representative said.

The city struggles with the monsoon rains every year as widespread construction and rubbish-clogged drains and waterways make it increasingly vulnerable to flooding.

Mumbai is also struggling with a surging coronavirus outbreak with an average of 1,000 new cases being reported every day.

Normal life disrupted in #Mumbai as heavy rainfall triggers severe water logging at various places of the city. #Maharashtra

Visuals from Parel area pic.twitter.com/WQSLMk0pZO

- ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

#WATCH High tide hits #Mumbai as heavy rainfall continues to lash the city. The MeT department has sounded a red alert for today & tomorrow for an extremely heavy downpour. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/qrjUKWavdq

- ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020