Mumbai rains: Residents wade through flood of memes after record deluge

India’s meteorological department issued a red alert on Tuesday for Mumbai city and other suburbs

Emergency workers rescue passengers stranded after heavy rains disrupted train services in Mumbai. AP

Emergency workers rescue passengers stranded after heavy rains disrupted train services in Mumbai. AP AP

A man carries a family member on his back through a flooded street. Reuters

A train moves on submerged railway tracks. Reuters

Commuters stranded at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus after heavy rains disrupted rail services in Mumbai. AP

People wade through a flooded streeti. EPA

Congestion on a flooded street. The weather bureau issued a red alert after several parts of the city recorded over 200mm of rainfall in 24 hours, severely disrupting daily life. EPA

A motorcyclist rides through a flooded street. AFP

A high-rise building surrounded by fog during heavy rain in Mumbai. EPA

Amid persistent and heavy rains, life in India's financial capital of Mumbai has seemingly come to a standstill, with residents unable to travel through the city. The showers and consequent flooding have affected local trains – a critical mode of transportation for millions of commuters.

People were seen wading through waist-deep waters and children have taken to swimming through waterlogged streets. Flight operations to and from the city were also heavily impacted, with FlightRadar24 showing extreme arrival and departure delays at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Residents quickly took to the social media platform X to shares memes and jokes. Mumbai is highly vulnerable to flooding during the monsoon season due to its location, high population and strained infrastructure.

Data from a weather station at Santacruz, on the western side of Mumbai, showed that this was the rainiest August in Mumbai since 2020, with 238.2 millimetres (9.4 inches) of precipitation in the 24 hours through 8.30am on Tuesday.

The government has announced that schools will remain closed and residents have been advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

A monorail train stopped on an elevated track between two stations due to power problems earlier this evening. More than 100 passengers were stuck for over an hour before emergency services started rescuing people on board through a broken window. The passengers climbed down ladders assisted by emergency personnel.

“Extremely heavy rainfall” is likely in many parts of the country, including Mumbai, until at least Wednesday, India’s meteorological department said. There is a risk of flash floods in some areas of the city and its neighbouring districts, it added.

The current monsoon season has been deadly across parts of Asia, with flash floods killing hundreds of people across India and Pakistan. Southern China and Hong Kong have also been drenched repeatedly in August.