Mumbai rains LIVE Updates: Local trains, air services disrupted, schools and colleges to remain shut today

India's financial capital Mumbai is facing another spell of heavy rains, disrupting rail, road and air traffic in the metropolitan city. This time the downpour began on Tuesday and is expected to continue till the next 24 hours. India Meteorological Department has released a forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places with extremely heavy rainfall in Raigad district adjoining Mumbai in the next 24 hours.
 
Due to incessant rain, several parts of the city were flooded. Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde instructed schools and colleges in Mumbai Metropolitan Region to remain closed today. "Schools are instructed to remain close tomorrow for safety due to mixed predictions. This holiday will be compensated in Diwali," Vinod Tawde said.
 
Heavy rains coupled with thunder and lightning lashed the metropolis yesterday, slowed down movement of vehicular traffic and suburban trains. Flight operations at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) were affected due to low visibility in the evening. It was reported that 56 flights were diverted as the operation at Mumbai International Airport remain suspended until today morning.
 
Air India spokesperson while speaking to India Today on current situation said, "We are experiencing heavy rainfall and bad tail winds at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The flights are taking off and landing from the secondary runway as the main runway has been closed for operations. Delays have been reported in arrival and departure of flights due to fluctuating weather."
 
According to latest update, the trans-harbour line is running normally with slight delay in Harbour and Main line. Latest reports suggest that traffic is moving slow on the Santacruz Chembur Link Road.  Milan subway is open but water-logged and people are advised to use an alternate route. In Tardeo and Kalbadevi, traffic flow is normal. Andheri station road closed due to water-logging.

Last night, a SpiceJet plane carrying 183 passengers overshot a wet runway while landing at the airport and got stuck in the mud. The passengers were evacuated using the emergency chute of the Boeing 737.
 
An IMD official said the Santacruz observatory recorded 225.3 mm rain from 8.30 am to 11.30 pm last night. This quantity falls under the weather category of 'extremely heavy rain' (204.5 mm and above), he said.
 
Mumbai recorded its second highest September rain in a span of 12 hours on Tuesday, BMC officials said. The rainfall recorded at BMC's automatic weather stations between 8 am and 10 pm included Nariman Point (88mm), Worli (110mm), Chembur (112mm), Mulund (94mm), Andheri (208mm), Bandra (128mm) and Borivli (204mm). IMD has also issued a high tide warning at 12.03 pm of 4.54 metres for today.

(With inputs from PTI)