Mumbai records heaviest 24-hour June rain in 2 years; Orange Alert for Friday

Mumbai was soaked on Thursday as Colaba logged 142.6 mm of rain in 24 hours, the city’s heaviest June downpour since 2023, and the second-highest in seven years, just after 2018’s 164 mm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts on Friday, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall. Neighbouring Palghar and Thane districts are under Red Alert, indicating significant rainfall likely.

The 24-hour rainfall ending Friday morning marked the heaviest June precipitation in two years, narrowly missing the 148 mm record set on June 29, 2023. While coastal Colaba bore the brunt with 142.6 mm, Santacruz recorded 60.5 mm and suburban areas received between 53-86 mm.

The downpour gave a much-needed boost to the city’s water reserves. Lake levels rose 3% overnight, taking the total stock to 13.18% (1.9 lakh million litres). Modak Sagar topped the catchment charts with 235 mm, followed by Tansa and Middle Vaitarna. After a slow start, the monsoon has kicked into high gear, testing the city’s flood resilience while refilling its reservoirs.