Mumbai rains: Buses, trains come to a halt as incessant showers lash city; IMD issues red alert till Wednesday

Mumbai: Bus and train services have been halted and altered in Mumbai owing to incessant rain on Tuesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed, while also appealing to offices in the city to remain shut. “The Western and harbour line between Kurla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) have been completely stopped and the central line is running at a slow speed. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) bus services have been diverted in at least eight routes in various parts of Mumbai City and the suburbs " the BMC said. The BMC also appealed to all offices and other establishments to remain shut on Tuesday, except those of emergency services, due to the advisory that had been issued by the IMD in light of the prediction of more downpours later in the day. With over 10 hours of rainfall throughout the night, people in several parts of Mumbai on Tuesday woke up to severely waterlogged streets. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a red alert for today and tomorrow for extremely heavy rain in Mumbai. With a high tide expected at 12.47 pm, the BMC has issued an alert to all concerned departments and also to citizens to not go near any beaches or low lying areas. Tidal waves of around 4.51 meters have been predicted due to the heavy rains. According to the BMC, Mumbai city received 140.5 mm rain from 8 am on 3 August to 3 am on 4 August. The Eastern and Western Suburbs recorded 84.77 mm and 79.27 mm of rainfall respectively.