Commuters, schools and those in essential services should be on notice: the IMD has put Mumbai and Thane on red alert for the weekend with its forecast of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. We are looking at some gusty winds as well over the next few days, making for a time when planning is key.
To keep people out of waterlogged areas and handle the kind of disruptions that come with peak hours, local administrations have made it a point to close down schools and colleges in the Thane district and Kalyan-Dombivli for July 4, 2026. Emergency numbers are also up and running.
Why the red alert matters this weekend
The IMD has put a flag on a high-impact period ahead. Their read is ‘heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar on July 4 and July 5.’ Don’t be surprised if the wind picks up to 50-60 kmph, or 60 in some spots.
It’s been a delayed monsoon, but the non-stop rain has put a strain on the city’s drainage and mobility. With catchments full and outflow slow, there is a real chance of some renewed flooding.
What the numbers show
There were some hard-hitting bursts on Friday. You could see it in the figures: Supari Tank Municipal School in Bandra put in 73.8 mm, Prabhadevi 72.2 mm, and Parel 69.4 mm in just five hours. It’s a case of localised but no less disruptive weather.
The BMC says that in the 24 hours to 8 am on Friday, you can find over 100 mm in more than one part of town. The island city came in at an average of 126 mm, with 110 in the east and 114 in the west – a sign of how the rain has been holding steady across the board.
Some of the individual stations tell the story of the intensity. Wadi Bunder was at 150.2 mm, Malabar Hill 145.8 mm and Sandhurst Road 140.8 mm. Over in the western suburbs, the school at Malpa Dongari in Andheri had 136.6 mm, and Powai led the eastern side with 124 mm.
Services, schools and commute
Metro, the suburban railway and BEST buses have been running despite the unrelenting downpour since Thursday night. There was some waterlogging in Dadar, Andheri, Goregaon and Parel; and even though the floodwaters have mostly gone by Friday, you will still find some delays on the trains.
The Red Alert for Mumbai and Thane stands for July 4, 5 and 6. But the IMD has also put out orange and yellow ones for these areas plus Palghar and Raigad for the 6th and 7th. It may be a bit of a let-up after the peak, but one should not let their guard down early in the week.
Monsoon strain beyond Mumbai
You won’t find this kind of weather pressure in the MMR alone. Down in Jamnagar in Gujarat, the Dhrol area has seen some serious inundation. Arterial roads are at a standstill and even school buses have been left in the lurch. People have had to wade through waist-deep water, a reminder of how fast the system can be put under a strain.
Up in the northeast, a few villages in Arunachal Pradesh have been cut off by flash floods and landslides, and the administration has had to bring in a commercial chopper to get food and medical aid in. On the other hand, in Himachal, they have been able to open up NH-5 in Kinnaur to traffic after a quick ground operation to clear a debris flow.
Safety watch for the next 72 hours
With the red alert in place, officials are asking for some common sense: stay away from where the water has pooled and be on the lookout for any signs of trouble. A few things to keep in mind:
– Make a habit of checking the IMD before you head out
– Do not put your foot in a lane that is under water
– When you park, give trees and low-lying spots a wide berth
– Stay on top of train and bus times
– Have your medicines and the like within reach
– If you see a hazard or a tree down, report it right away
This has been a deadly run. An 11-year-old in Chembur was killed earlier in the week when a tree came down on his bus. With the prospect of more hard rain in some pockets, the focus is on limiting exposure and being ready to act if things take a turn for the worse.
Then there is the question of what lies ahead. Even with services in motion, one can expect some stoppages given the mix of very heavy rain and 50-60 kmph winds (60 in a few cases). Add in the poor visibility and the odd falling branch, and you have the recipe for delays and the like.
For now, it is a matter of how Saturday and Sunday go for Mumbai and Thane. Come Monday and Tuesday, the orange and yellow alerts for the region and its neighbours mean a need for some watchfulness as the monsoon keeps its course.
