Monsoon Mayhem LIVE: 3 unaccounted in Arunachal floods, Mumbai trains crippled, landslides hit Maharashtra

A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sanitation worker fell into an open drain right in front of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawade as she carried out a ground-level assessment of the rain situation. The Mayor reacted sharply, issuing a clear warning that any ward official under whose jurisdiction an uncovered manhole is discovered will face immediate suspension.

Authorities said a fellow traveller fatally stabbed a 22-year-old man inside the first-class coach of a Mumbai suburban train. The confrontation that triggered the attack was over whether the train's doors should be kept open while it rained outside. The perpetrator escaped from the scene and has not yet been caught; police have launched a large-scale operation to track him down. The deceased has been named as Mayank Lohar. He was attacked on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 — the same day the monsoon made its official arrival in the city — while the train was running between Andheri and Borivali stations on the western suburban corridor.

Figures published by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) show that Colaba logged 248 mm of rainfall and Santacruz recorded 225 mm across a 24-hour span. Colaba's full June seasonal average is 542 mm, and an extraordinary 45% of that monthly total was reached within just one day. Santacruz tells a nearly identical story: its June benchmark stands at 537 mm, of which 42% came down during that same single-day period.

Weather agencies have maintained the orange alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts, indicating that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to continue across all three areas.

The Assam government has sounded a high alert for several of its districts after extreme rainfall and sudden flooding were reported across Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Subansiri district, with downstream areas of Assam now facing a considerable threat. Data furnished by the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati and the Meteorological Centre at Itanagar reveal that Yazali, a location within Lower Subansiri, received 72.8 mm of precipitation over the previous 24-hour span, the majority of which came down during the three-hour stretch from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. An official statement released by the Assam government noted that the unusually large volume of rain had unleashed flash floods and driven a steep surge in river discharge across the upper catchment zones.

Train operations on the Trans-Harbour line were restored Wednesday morning after soil beneath the tracks washed away during the recent heavy downpour, causing a temporary suspension. Rains that have been falling in spells since Tuesday evening (June 23, 2026) have resulted in 24 train cancellations so far, with speed restrictions still in place between Turbhe and Vashi. Central Railway said in an official statement: "Due to a track damage incident at the Trans Harbour line of Mumbai Local, 24 trains have been cancelled till now. Though the traffic is resumed in the affected portion after repairing, speed is limited due to caution in the affected portion of the trans harbour line between Turbhe and Vash." The disruption unfolded as Mumbai endured torrential rain on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) and Wednesday (June 24, 2026), leaving multiple low-lying localities severely waterlogged. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put the city under an Orange Alert in view of the conditions.

Relentless rainfall set off flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district on Wednesday morning, submerging low-lying localities and leaving 18 residential units damaged, while landslides along a national highway blocked road traffic and stranded several people, an official said. Three individuals are reported to have gone missing after floodwaters inundated the Neepco project colony near Poosa under Yazali circle, State disaster management secretary Dani Sulu said. An under-construction retaining wall gave way under the force of the downpour, allowing a large volume of water to rush into residential areas within and around the colony, he added.

Just a day after the monsoon arrived in Mumbai, heavy overnight rain threw suburban train services into disarray, inundated low-lying neighbourhoods, and left commuters stranded across the city. Some parts of the metropolis received more than 200 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m., officials said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy spells of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning over Mumbai and its surrounding suburban zones in the next 24 hours.

Following an intense overnight downpour, Mumbai continued to receive heavy showers on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to place the city and adjoining districts — including Thane, Raigad, and Palghar — under an Orange Alert. IMD has predicted moderate to intense bursts of rain for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar, and Sindhudurg. Between 8 a.m. on June 23 and 8 a.m. on June 24, the city recorded 195 mm of rainfall, while the eastern suburbs clocked 167 mm and the western suburbs 208 mm.

Maharashtra's Thane and Palghar districts bore the brunt of heavy rains over the past 24 hours, triggering a landslide at Malshej Ghat and generating dozens of tree-fall complaints from residents, officials said. A minor landslide was recorded Tuesday evening (June 23, 2026) on the Malshej Ghat stretch — a vital corridor connecting Thane and Pune districts — according to Thane's Resident Deputy Collector Sandeep Mane. The incident took place between the "wash point" and "umbrella point" at the ghat, in the 6 pm to 7 pm window on Tuesday (June 23, 2026), district disaster management authorities confirmed.

South Western Railway has stated that wide-ranging monsoon preparedness measures have been put in place across its network, with passenger safety and seamless train operations kept at the forefront to tackle the season's challenges effectively. For the South Western Railway zone, the 2026 monsoon period is observed from June 1 to October 31. However, for select sections under the Bengaluru and Mysuru divisions, the notified period stretches from mid-August or early September through mid-November, depending on local weather patterns. Comprehensive precautionary protocols are in effect throughout this window to maintain safe and dependable rail services, the railway said in a release. South Western Railway has strengthened its monsoon readiness drive, keeping passenger safety and uninterrupted operations as the cornerstone of its seasonal approach.

A tree came crashing down on a stationary car in Dadar, Mumbai, after heavy overnight rain, the BMC confirmed. Photo credit: Emmanual Yogini

Mumbai residents woke up on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) to find the city soaked by heavy overnight rain, though all major underpasses in the metropolis remained open and traffic movement was mostly smooth, officials said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had put Mumbai and Palghar on a red alert at 4 a.m., valid for three hours, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, extremely intense rainfall, and winds of 40-60 kmph. By 7 a.m., the alert was stepped down to an orange warning for the following three hours, with moderate to intense showers forecast across Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar, and Sindhudurg districts. IMD has predicted thunderstorms and continued rain across Maharashtra through June 26, with advisories issued for fishermen and alerts flagging the risk of localised flooding.