Mumbai Rains Live Updates: City crawls as heavy rain cripples normal life; bus, train & metro services hit

Just days after its grand inauguration, the Worli underground station on Mumbai’s Aqua Line (Metro Line-3) was left flooded and partially non-operational on Monday morning as torrential rains battered the city, marking a dramatic and early onset of the monsoon.

The unexpected flooding forced authorities to curtail metro services, with trains operating only up to Worli instead of the full route to Acharya Atre Chowk. The disruption drew sharp criticism online, as visuals of waterlogged platforms at the brand-new station circulated widely on social media.

Water accumulated outside the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at KEM Hospital amid heavy rains. The hospital’s acting dean, Dr. Sandesh Parelkar, said the water was promptly cleared using pumps and manual efforts, and confirmed that no seepage occurred into the ICU or other wards.

Heavy rains this morning have not only caused waterlogging in several areas but also led to widespread traffic congestion across key routes in Mumbai. Commuters are facing long delays due to slow-moving traffic and road disruptions. Here’s a roundup of the affected spots:

• Congestion reported on Aarey Colony Road and outside Indiabulls, under the Elphinstone flyover.
• Western Express Highway is witnessing slow traffic at Malad and between Goregaon and Vile Parle.
• Traffic hit at Hindmata Junction and Bhoiwada, adding to central Mumbai delays.
• New Link Road, Malad is heavily congested, especially near Mith Chowky Junction, Evershine Nagar Junction, and Infiniti Mall Junction.
• Traffic movement is impacted at Kings Circle Bridge (Matunga) and on the southbound side of Ram Nagar Subway (Vakola).

Heavy rainfall between 9am and 10am has led to waterlogging in several parts of the city, affecting public transport routes. BEST bus services have been diverted at multiple locations to avoid flooded stretches, causing delays and rerouting for commuters. Here are the key diversions reported so far:

• Due to waterlogging at Gandhi Market, BEST buses in both directions have been diverted via Bhau Daji Road since 9.45am
• On Sion Road No. 24, buses on routes 341 and 312 (up direction) are taking a left from the Sion Main Road signal, making a U-turn, and then returning to their regular route.
• Due to water accumulation under the Wadala flyover, buses on routes 117 and 174 have been diverted via Wadala Church. (From 9am)
• At Hindmata, waterlogging has caused diversions for routes 40, 212, and 368 in both directions. These buses are being rerouted from Sharda Cinema. (Since 9.30am)

The district administration on Sunday evacuated at least 100 families from 10 villages in Indapur tehsil after floodwaters entered their homes. Baramati and nearby areas received over 130mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, with intermittent showers continuing throughout the day, disrupting daily life.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Pune district for May 26 and 27, and a yellow alert for May 28 and 29.

Indapur tehsildar Jeevan Bansode told TOI: "We shifted about 100 families from these villages after their homes, next to a rivulet, were inundated. These villages all received about 90 mm of rainfall in 12 hours."