Mumbai, the Bollywood hub and megacity in India, has seen over 300 millimeters of rainfall in a few hours, severe monsoon rains have paralyzed daily life.
The city, which is home to around 12 million people, saw 11.8 inches of rain fall in six hours, ending at 7 in the morning, according to a statement from city officials.
Over two million people are reported to have been impacted by overflowing rivers in other locations, while airlines had delays and educational institutions had to close as a result of heavy rainfall in the city.
The authorities also stated that schools and universities were closed for the day due to the possibility of more strong storms and a high tide of 4.40 meters (14 feet) in the coastal city.
Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, a western state with Mumbai as its hub, stated on X that "there is heavy traffic on the roads and rail lines too have been affected," and he advised people to stay home unless travelling is necessary.
Many places had vehicles half buried in knee-deep water, making it difficult for commuters to move around as traffic jammed the city's Eastern and Western Express routes.
Some long-distance trains had to be cancelled due to water on the tracks, according to railway authorities, while television footage showed some suburban passenger trains a vital source of everyday transportation for millions of people halting on flooded lines.
According to airport sources, runway operations were suspended for over an hour due to a combination of bad visibility and rain.
The website of flight monitoring service Flightradar24 indicated that over 300 aircraft had been delayed and 36 had been cancelled.
The largest and least expensive airline in India, IndiGo, issued a statement claiming that the intense rain had affected its Mumbai flights. SpiceJet, another low-cost carrier, also issued a warning about weather-related disruptions.
Days after record-breaking showers in the country's capital, New Delhi, which resulted in the deadly collapse of an airport roof, there was an intense downpour.
In addition, the north and east of India as well as the neighboring Himalayan country of Nepal have experienced floods and landslides due to the intense monsoon rainfall, which have claimed at least eleven lives.
Authorities reported on Sunday that the rare one-horned rhinoceros found in Kaziranga National Park in northeastern Assam, which was submerged and six of the animals drowned, had affected over two million people due to river floods.
