Heavy rains lash Mumbai, rail traffic hit

A man holds an umbrella against the wind on the shore of the Arabian sea during a monsoon shower in Mumbai, India, Thursday, June 28, 2012. The monsoon rains which usually hit India from June to September are crucial for farmers whose crops feed hundreds of millions of people. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

In the first major downpour since the arrival of monsoon in Mumbai, heavy rains lashed the city on Thursday disrupting rail traffic.

The maximum rainfall was observed in the suburbs, with Kandivili and Malad receiving around 45 mm rainfall, the MeT department here said.

Colaba recorded 21 mm rainfall and Santacruz recorded 75 mm downpour till 9 am today, it said.

The department has warned that heavy to very heavy rains may occur in the Konkan and Mumbai coasts during the next 24 hours.

Central Railway trains were running late by up to 30 to 35 minutes because of signal problems at various locations, a Central Railway spokesman said.

However, all suburban train services were running on schedule on the western line.

Most flights are running normal at the Mumbai international airport and there are no disruptions reported so far, officials said.