Mumbai, June 16 (IANS) As the monsoon has become active, the Meteorological Department said the intensity of rains will increase throughout the day on Monday and issued alerts for various regions of Maharashtra.

It has issued a red alert in Raigad district, orange alert in Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune ghat section, Satara ghat section, Kolhapur ghat section and yellow alert in Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Nashik ghat section, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli.

The weather bureau has predicted thunderstorms with lightning likely in Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Washim, Yavatmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its post on X said, “The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning of heavy rains in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Mumbai city and suburbs) for next three hours. For help in an emergency or for official, contact the BMC’s main control room helpline number 1916.”

Due to the rain, the Central, Western and Harbour Railways in Mumbai are running late by 5 to 10 minutes. Heavy rainfall has been continuing in the Vasai-Virar area since Sunday evening, and many low-lying areas of the city have been submerged. As a result, traffic and normal life have been disrupted.

The state government sources said the respective Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors have been asked to keep vigil and be prepared to conduct relief rescue works. The state emergency operations centre situated at Mantralaya has been in touch with all districts to streamline relief and rescue works.

“There is a cyclonic circulation over South Central Maharashtra and its vicinity at a height of 7.6 km above sea level. Cyclonic circulation is also prevailing over the Bay of Bengal at a height of 3.1 to 7.6 km above sea level. Due to this, the monsoon has now become active. The Meteorological Department has predicted that the monsoon will advance over Vidarbha, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Odisha as the weather is conducive for the advance of the monsoon,” said state government sources.

Mumbai and Pune cities have been receiving continuous rain since the night. Heavy rain has been recorded in the Pune area since night, 113 mm of rain has been recorded in the Varandha Ghat Shirgaon area, while there has been a drizzle in the Mutha Ghat leading to Lavasa.

The weather bureau has predicted that the intensity of rain will decrease in Mumbai and Thane on Tuesday and Wednesday, and there will be moderate rain.

–IANS

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