Mumbai rains updates: Despite heavy rainfall warning, most city areas remain dry

With the weather department issuing a 'red alert' for rain in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government declared a holiday for schools and colleges in the city on Thursday. However, as people geared up to tackle the situation, the high rainfall warning turned out to be a damp squib as the city hardly received any showers till Thursday afternoon. While the city received some showers late Wednesday night, it remained almost dry on Thursday. The school education minister Ashish Shelar's order for closure of schools and colleges issued late Wednesday night also remained ineffective, as several educational institutions in the city and suburbs remained open. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a red rain alert, indicating "extremely heavy rainfall", for Mumbai and Raigad districts.

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3.39 PM: Despite lower than expected rainfall on Thursday, Skymetweather said Konkan, Goa and central Maharashtra could experience 'heavy rainfall'.

2.51 PM: According to a weather experts, the country is going through a strong 'Indian Ocean Dipole' (an irregular oscillation of sea-surface temperatures) and it is driving the intensity of showers across various places, including Mumbai. The south west monsoon arrived in Mumbai this year on June 18, as against the normal onset date of June 7. Repeated low-pressure formation over north Bay of Bengal and Odisha resulted in at least 25 per cent excess rainfall in central India, with the Konkan and Goa regions receiving close to 60 per cent excess downpour so far, the expert said. -- PTI

2.27 PM: After declaring holiday on Thursday, the Mumbai authorities have declared Friday as a holiday in schools and junior colleges in Mumbai, Thane & Konkan regions. The decision has been taken as precautionary measure.

1.57 PM: 30 airlines on ground due to rain: IndiGo

India's largest domestic airline IndiGo has said close to 30 flights had been on ground due to intermittent rain in Mumbai. "Due to the unprecedented non-stop rains in Mumbai, there are close to 30 flights on ground. As a result of flooding and waterlogging on roads, and the subsequent traffic jams, many of our ground support staff, crew and captains have not been able to reach airport on time." "As a result, the departure flights have also been held up. We are doing everything possible to restore normalcy," the airline said.

1.49 PM: Skymetweather has said one or two short spells of moderate rain could mar Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Nashik today.

1.43 PM: IMD issues alert: "Heavy rains likely at isolated places in the city & suburbs".