Heavy overnight rains lashed Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) hitting road and rail traffic, though flight operation at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was normal.
Water-logging was reported from chronic spots of Dadar, Parel, Wadala, Sion, besides low-lying areas in Malad, Santacruz, Dahisar.
While the suburban services on the Central Railway were hit badly with delays of over 30-minutes due to speed restrictions, Western Railway traffic has not been affected.
K.S. Hosalikar, Head of Climate Research and Services, Pune shared the latest satellite images at 8.30 a.m. indicating intense clouds over Mumbai suburbs and Thane leading to some very intense spells in the last 3-4 hours.
He said the entire coastal Konkan is covered with clouds and North Konkan-Mumbai needs to watch out.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation is on an alert mode and the water levels of Mothi River are being monitored.
The entire North Konkan area comprising the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban, neighbouring districts of Palghar, Thane and Raigad which comprise the MMR is getting heavy rainfall.
The BMC said in the past 24 hours till 8 a.m. (Friday), the city received 64.45 mm, 127.16 mm in Western Suburbs and 120.67 mm in Eastern Suburbs, and it continues to pour since daybreak on Friday.
The BMC has forecast more rains for the day including isolated spells of heavy showers.
According to Indian officials, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese forces in a disputed Himalayan border area. The incident follows rising tensions, and is the first deadly clash in the border area in at least over 4 decades. The Indian army initially said three of its soldiers had been killed, adding that both sides suffered casualties.
India and Australia penned a landmark agreement for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support besides firming up six more pacts to further broaden ties after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart PM Scott Morrison held an online summit.
Siddharta Vashishtha, also known as Manu Sharma, the convict in the Jessica Lal murder case was released from Tihar Jail on Tuesday. Sandeep Goel, Director-General of Tihar Jail, said: “He was released on the recommendations of the Sentence Reviewing Board meeting. The entire process has been carried out.”
A swarm of locusts on Wednesday and Thursday devastated crops in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadhra district, which shares borders with Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The pest has damaged crops in six states, leading to the Centre issuing a locust warning to 16 states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 1,500 crore for the relief and rehabilitation of people affected by Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha, and assured the states of more support after conducting separate aerial surveys with chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik on Friday.
