Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Monday disrupting flights and causing traffic jams across the city, officials said, as the weather department forecast more showers in parts of Maharashtra.
A spokesperson for the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said operations of flights were being temporarily suspended amid less visibility since 9.15am due to the heavy rains.
“Safety of the passengers cannot be compromised. If the weather is not conducive to land, the operations will have to be kept on hold,” the MIAL spokesperson said.
Traffic snarls were reported at 9.30am from several roads across the western and eastern suburbs, especially in Bandra, Santacruz and Vile Parle.
Office goers said it was taking close to two hours to travel from Borivali to Bandra because of the ongoing Metro construction which has narrowed down the Western Express Highway. They said potholes near the airport flyover at Vile Parle (east) also added to their problems. Potholes on this particular stretch caused traffic jams all the way till Goregaon (east).
Commuters in the western suburbs faced jams after waterlogging on SV Road till Juhu SNDT College, Andheri to Goregaon SV Road, Behram Baug in Jogeshwari (West), Malad Crematorium and several other areas.
In the eastern suburbs, the most affected roads were JVLR, Ghatkopar to Kurla, Vidyalankar College to Wadala, Dr BA Road, SCLR Bridge towards Ghatkopar, Vikhtoli to Ghatkopar road, Chembur Camp Road.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted intermittent showers in the city with heavy to very heavy rainfalls at isolated places. High tides are expected at 4:18pm, the weather department has said.