“Moderate rains in the city and suburbs with the possibility of heavy to very heavy rains and thunderstorms with winds reaching 30 to 40 km / h in isolated places,” Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement. .

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that intense to very intense rain episodes are expected to occur in isolated parts of Mumbai and adjacent areas on Wednesday over the next 3 to 4 hours.

“Heavy to very intense rain episodes are most likely to occur in isolated places in Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Nasik, Ahmednagar, Nandurbar and Dhule districts over the next 3 to 4 hours,” IMD said.

Watch the video: Mumbai is receiving precipitation this morning, visuals from the Eastern Express Highway.

“Possibility of thunder / lightning accompanied by gusts of wind in some areas. Take precautions when moving,” IMD added.

Thane Municipal Company Additional Commissioner Sandeep Malvi said: “Due to Cyclonic Storm Gulab, heavy rains were forecast in Palghar district, in view of which Palghar collector Dr Manik Gursal, called on citizens to take the necessary precautions. “

Meanwhile, at least 13 people have died in heavy downpours, floods and lightning in parts of Maharashtra, with the Marathwada region most affected by the fury of the rains, while more than 560 people were rescued after the mobilization of the NDRF and the deployment of helicopters, officials said on Tuesday. .

In addition, more than 200 head of cattle perished or were swept away and a number of houses were damaged by the torrential rains that hit Marathwada on Sunday and Monday, causing havoc in an area considered to be a constantly growing region. plagued by drought, they said.

Parts of the region and Mumbai also received heavy showers on Tuesday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast “extremely heavy rains” in a few places in Marathwada, Mumbai and other parts of the Konkan coastal region of Maharashtra over the next 24 hours. The Marathwada region in central Maharashtra which faced the fury of the rain includes eight districts – Aurangabad, Latur, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Nanded, Beed, Jalna and Hingoli. Heavy rains in the Manjara dam watersheds forced authorities to open the reservoir’s 18 valves to drain water on Tuesday, leading to flooding in some villages in Beed district, while an alert was raised. rung in some neighboring districts, officials said.

The local administration opened all 18 gates at the Manjara dam and 11 gates at the Majalgaon dam, resulting in the release of 78,397 cusecs and 80,534 cusecs of water, respectively, they said. An official with the disaster management department said in Mumbai that 13 people died from heavy rains and lightning in parts of Maharashtra, while 136 others were injured. Of those 13 deaths, 12 were reported in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions and one in Nashik district in northern Maharashtra, the official said.

Of the 12 deaths, three were reported in Yavatmal district (in Vidarbha where a bus was taken), two each from Beed, Osmanabad, Parbhani (Marathwada) and one each from Jalna, Latur (Marathwada) and Buldhana (Vidarbha) ) , he mentioned.

In Nashik district, lightning killed one person and injured four others, the official said. Three people have died after a public transport bus was washed away Tuesday morning as it crossed a flooded bridge in Yavatmal district, officials said. The incident happened around 8 a.m. at the Dahagaon Bridge in Umarkhed tehsil as the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) semi-luxury bus was traveling from Nagpur to Nanded. The bus was swept away while crossing the bridge which was flooded from heavy rains and then overturned, an official said. There were four passengers on the bus in addition to the driver and driver, Umarkhed tehsildar Anand Deolgaonkar said.

“Extremely heavy rains” are expected in a few places in Marathwada, Mumbai and other parts of Konkan in the next 24 hours, IMD announced in Mumbai on Tuesday evening. KS Hosalikar, Senior Scientist at IMD Mumbai, said: “The remnants of Cyclone Gulab will continue to impact Marathwada, Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan, with few places receiving extremely heavy rainfall. “The northern parts of Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra will also receive more showers on Wednesday,” he said. “Extremely heavy rain” means more than 204.5 mm of precipitation in 24 hours. “There is now an area of ​​low pressure from Cyclone Gulab. As it heads towards the Arabian Sea, its effect on Maharashtra will diminish from Thursday, ”he said.

*With contributions from agencies