Mumbai Monsoon Red Alert : Mumbai’s monsoon has always been intense, but June 2025 brought an extraordinary downpour that paralyzed the city. With red alerts issued across districts, flooding, transportation disruptions, and safety concerns became the reality for millions. This isn’t just a weather report-it’s a reflection of resilience, systems tested, and urgent calls for preparedness.
Monsoon Blasting Mumbai: Red Alert, Delays and Flood Poise In Torrential Pre-Monsoon Rains
Mumbai is not new to heavy rain. The city is a monsoon’s wonderland, grappling with waterlogged streets, broken routine and the fight-it-out spirit of its inhabitants every year. But it’s different this time, it feels. So much so now that this has wrecked day-to-day existence and has even led the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for multiple districts, including Raigad, placing stretches of Maharashtra on high alert as on June 15, 2025.
From delayed flights to abandoned trains, waterlogged tracks to drenched expressways, the monsoon has demonstrated its brute force – and the city has reacted with a combination of caution, courage and fretting.
Red Alert in Raigad and Further
On Saturday morning, the IMD issued a red alert for the Raigad district, predicting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places. The warning is in the wake of a wider alert in some districts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri and Palghar which were issued an orange alert.
The red warning is the highest level of alert that the IMD issues and usually signals the likelihood of atypically heavy rainfall – 204.4 mm over 24 hours or more – that can bring major damage and disruption. For Raigad, this translated to not only flood risks, but also the threat of landslides, particularly in hilly areas.
Raigad’s administration moved into action immediately and issued an advisory urging citizens to stay indoors unless it was really necessary. Schools and colleges in several talukas affected by the shutdown were also declared closed for the day. Local disaster response units were pressed into service and control rooms activated round-the-clock in the event of any emergency.
Mumbai Wades Through Water and Worry
Mumbai, meanwhile, was gasping for air. Heavy rain through the early hours of Saturday had flooded several parts of the city. From Dadar to Sion, Kurla to Andheri, waist-deep water rose on to the streets, leaving vehicles marooned and pedestrians to wade through the muddy water.
The city’s local trains – its lifeline – were particularly hard hit. The suburban services on Central and Harbour lines were severely affected by water-logged tracks. A number of services were delayed or cancelled entirely and thousands of commuters left without transport.
The Western Railway said there were problems between Churchgate and Virar, where slow or stopped trains added to the day’s difficulty for commuters. Others gave up and went back home as commuters crowded on keep-wet platforms, checking for updates. It was a jarring standstill for a city that prides itself on its mobility.
The BEST bus services were also hit by long delays, with several routes being either curtailed or diverted as a number of road were submerged. Yet, despite the bad condition, civic workers were on the ground for unblocking the drains and trying to pump out the water logged on the road.
Flights Rerouted, Schedules Upended
Even the Mumbai airport, one of the busiest in the country, wasn’t exempt. Heavy rainfall also caused delays in arrivals and departed. At least 15 flights were delayed while three were diverted to the nearby Ahmedabad and Goa as visibility and wet runways did not permit take-offs and landings, according to reports.
The airport authority pushed advisories to passengers to check on their flights before leaving home and to expect delays. Taxis and apps-based ride services also suffered, as surge pricing and longer-than-ordinary wait times irked travellers.
Hotel bookings, business meetings, weddings and weekend travel plans were all imperiled. Many travelers took to social media to vent about their frustrations and helplessness – not toward nature, but the state of readiness they’d imagined a citified place would have in the face of something that comes blowing through here every year.
Rescue and Relief: Response Teams Stand Ready
In view of the red alert, the NDRF teams were kept on standby in vulnerable districts. In Raigad, teams were already out in the morning itself, especially in flood and landslide-prone areas.
Emergency numbers were circulated via text message and social media, and temporary shelters were prepared for people living in low-lying areas. In Mumbai, BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) activated its disaster management system and helpline numbers, and asked people to stay away from unnecessary travel.
Despite the warning, accounts of people trapped in basements, vehicles stuck under underpasses and building leakages poured in from various sections of the city. I teamed up with civic teams and volunteers from local NGOs and community groups to help as much as we could.
The Impact on Daily Life
And beyond the delays and cancellations, it’s the smaller stories that paint a fuller picture of how life in Mumbai adapts during heavy rain:
- Office workers sloshed along through the flooded streets in umbrellas and plastic bags on their shoes.
- Teamsters and street vendors shut down early in case of flash floods.
- Families remained holed up in powerless homes in some parts where transformers had tripped.
- School attendance was very small, as many of the parents preferred their children to remain indoors where they would be safe.
- Even food delivery services stumbled, with longer delivery times and large swathes in hours-long blackouts marked “unserviceable.”
Hospitals were on standby, particularly for waterborne diseases and other infections that often increase with the monsoon. Doctors also warned of the threat of leptospirosis – a bacterial infection that is endemic in flood-struck regions.
Why the Red Alert Matters
A red alert is not called for lightly. Per IMD protocol, it amounts to a call to action – getting people to the safety of sheltered locations, stopping vehicular movement if necessary, ensuring that relief centers and medical aid are readily available.
Raigad has witnessed devastating landslides in the past, including during the monsoons of 2021 when over 200 people lost their lives in Maharashtra. Those events are still fresh in memory, leading to a more aggressive response now.
In a city like Mumbai, roads could get flooded even with an orange alert given the city’s poor drainage infrastructure and high density of population. The red alert elsewhere offers a sobering example of just how fast things can turn.
Public Reaction and Kindness Amid Chaos
Not only were images of underwater cars and flooded streets flooding social media, but so were ones of frustration. Many people were asking why the city was still unable to provide even the most rudimentary drainage each monsoon. Others worried about their daily wage workers, delivery persons and first responders who were forced to be out in such conditions.
Meanwhile, tales of kindness came to light. Stranded commuters were welcomed into residents’ homes. Restaurants offered free food to delivery riders. People we don’t know giving us a push so we could get out. It is in moments like these that Mumbai’s celebrated resilience comes to the fore.
One viral post said, “We have learned to swim in chaos, laugh under floods, and carry on in the rain when the sky opens. That’s Mumbai spirit.”
What Comes Next?
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy showers in some parts of Maharashtra for the next 48 hours. Although the red alert may be removed in some regions according to real-time situation, the general public should still be cautious.
Here’s what officials are recommending people do:
- Avoid unnecessary travel
- Remain indoors when it is raining hardest
- Keep emergency kits ready
- Stay tuned to official sources for more information
- Do not enter underpasses or low-lying flooded areas
For the hinterland districts such as Raigad, the worry is more about landslides and power cuts. “We’re still dealing only with the dewatering, traffic management and rescue work for urban areas like Mumbai.
Conclusion: Mumbai Monsoon Red Alert
It has not just been heavy rains in Mumbai and the red alert in Raigad, but a reminder. Glimpses of infrastructure that needs to be overhauled, of systems that need to be held accountable – and of how nature holds the power to pause a busy metropolis.
But they are also symbols of something more profound – human perseverance. It is the commuter who still walks home in the rain, the volunteer offering cups of tea on the street and the civic worker clearing drains with bare feet – they all demonstrate that even amid anarchy, Mumbai holds its head high.
As the monsoon moves through Maharashtra, one can only wish that this time the lessons won’t be reduced to headlines but will cut through policy, planning and preparedness.
FAQs
Q1: What does a red alert issued by the IMD mean?
A red alert signifies extremely heavy rainfall – 204.4 mm or more in 24 hours – and indicates potential danger, urging maximum precautions.
Q2: Which areas are currently most affected by the monsoon in Maharashtra?
Raigad is under a red alert, while Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri and Palghar are under an orange alert. Mumbai has seen significant flooding and transport disruption.
Q3: Are local trains running in Mumbai?
Train services, especially on Central and Harbour lines, were severely affected due to waterlogged tracks. Delays and cancellations were widespread.
Q4: How is the Mumbai airport functioning during this weather?
Flights have experienced delays and diversions due to heavy rain and low visibility. Passengers are advised to check flight status before heading out.
Q5: What precautions should residents take during red alert rainfall?
Stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, keep emergency kits ready, and follow updates from official channels. Avoid low-lying or flooded areas.
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