Maharashtra rain chaos; red alert across several districts

Relentless monsoon showers continued to pound Maharashtra on Monday, unleashing widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure damage that disrupted daily life and transport across large parts of the state.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several coastal districts, warning of continued heavy to extremely heavy rainfall through Tuesday.
According to agency reports, the red alert has been issued for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. Authorities have ordered the closure of schools in several districts and advised residents to avoid non-essential travel as the intense rainfall continues.The heavy downpour crippled Maharashtra's transport network, forcing the closure of several major highways and disrupting railway services. A landslide near the entry point of the newly inaugurated Mumbai-Pune 'Missing Link' project close to Lonavala caused a concrete slab to collapse, sending mud and debris onto the highway. As a precaution, highway police suspended traffic at the Urse toll plaza.
The State Emergency Operations Centre and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) announced the closure or disruption of several critical routes, including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, sections of the Mumbai-Goa Highway at Chiplun Khavati and Sukeli Khind in Raigad, the Pen-Khopoli route, the Mangaon-Pali road and the Mangaon-Pune Tamhini Ghat road.Near Parshuram Ghat on the Mumbai-Goa Highway, continuous soil erosion and falling boulders hampered traffic movement, with stranded motorists reporting traffic jams lasting up to 10 to 12 hours.
Rail services also bore the brunt of the relentless rainfall. Mumbai's suburban rail network witnessed major delays after waterlogging submerged tracks at Vasai, Nalasopara and Vikhroli. At Nalasopara station, floodwaters covered all four railway lines, forcing trains to operate at reduced speeds.Western Railway services were delayed by 20 to 25 minutes, Central Railway trains by 15 to 20 minutes, while Harbour Line services were running behind schedule by around 10 minutes.Rail connectivity between Mumbai and Pune was also affected after a landslide in the Thakurwadi area blocked the Pune-Mumbai railway line. Boulders that fell on tracks between Karjat and Lonavala led to the cancellation and diversion of several long-distance trains.

STORY | IMD issues 'red' alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad; predicts very heavy showers

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a 'red' alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds, and… pic.twitter.com/44UKKCY4K6

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 6, 2026

Meanwhile,in Raigad district, incessant rainfall caused rivers to swell beyond safe levels. The Savitri River crossed the danger mark, inundating markets in Mahad and nearby agricultural fields. The Patalganga and Bhogavati rivers also overflowed, flooding parts of Khopoli, including commercial establishments located along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.The IMD has also issued an orange alert for Nashik district, forecasting heavy rainfall over the ghat sections. Similar weather conditions, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, are expected across parts of Vidarbha, including Akola, Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said the civic administration is on high alert following the IMD's red alert for the city. She said weather advisories are being issued every 30 minutes, BMC schools will remain closed for Monday and Tuesday, and private companies have been urged to allow employees to work from home. While local train services continue to operate, Tawde appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and stay indoors until July 8-10 as heavy rainfall, strong winds and high tides are expected.Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and stay alert as heavy rainfall, flooding and the risk of further landslides are expected to persist over the next 24 hours.

#WATCH | As Monsoon rains continue to batter Mumbai, Mayor Ritu Tawde says, " A 'Red' alert has been issued, looking at the prediction of heavy rains, strong winds and high tide. We are sending weather alerts to citizens every half an hour and urging them to avoid stepping… pic.twitter.com/gW0DjeExqe

— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2026

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said he had reviewed the situation in the landslide-affected railway sections and directed officials from Western and Central Railways to work in coordination to restore normal services."Our teams are fully deployed on the ground to clear the tracks and roads. I have directed officials from both Western and Central Railways to work as a unified team to restore safe rail services at the earliest," Vaishnaw said.