Heavy overnight rains lashed Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) hitting road and rail traffic, though flight operation at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was normal.
Water-logging was reported from chronic spots of Dadar, Parel, Wadala, Sion, besides low-lying areas in Malad, Santacruz, Dahisar.
While the suburban services on the Central Railway were hit badly with delays of over 30-minutes due to speed restrictions, Western Railway traffic has not been affected.
K.S. Hosalikar, Head of Climate Research and Services, Pune shared the latest satellite images at 8.30 a.m. indicating intense clouds over Mumbai suburbs and Thane leading to some very intense spells in the last 3-4 hours.
He said the entire coastal Konkan is covered with clouds and North Konkan-Mumbai needs to watch out.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation is on an alert mode and the water levels of Mothi River are being monitored.
The entire North Konkan area comprising the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban, neighbouring districts of Palghar, Thane and Raigad which comprise the MMR is getting heavy rainfall.
The BMC said in the past 24 hours till 8 a.m. (Friday), the city received 64.45 mm, 127.16 mm in Western Suburbs and 120.67 mm in Eastern Suburbs, and it continues to pour since daybreak on Friday.
The BMC has forecast more rains for the day including isolated spells of heavy showers.
Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or “black fungus” infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.
India broke its own previous record of Covid deaths in 24 hours after the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said the nation recorded 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection.
Cyclone Tauktae has claimed the lives of at least 12 people and close to 200,000 have been evacuated. The impact of the cyclone so intense that it has uprooted trees and electricity poles.
According to Swaminathan, B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in India last Fall, was a contributing factor in the COVID explosion that India is witnessing right now.
He said that the "endgame" in fighting the pandemic is vaccinating everyone. At the same time, he said that all of India should "shut down", as some states have done.
