Mumbai Rains: Runway Closed for Hour, One Killed in Tree Collapse, Flights Diverted
Heavy rains in Mumbai on Sunday (July 5, 2026) disrupted flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for an hour and led to waterlogged streets and treefall incidents, resulting in one fatality, officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a 'red' alert for extremely heavy rain for the metropolis. Several areas recorded more than 200 millimetres of rainfall, with some receiving up to 300 mm in a 24-hour period.
Four IndiGo flights were cancelled and 13 arriving aircraft of various operators were diverted to nearby airports as heavy rains and gusty winds forced the airport authorities to suspend all runway operations for an hour on Sunday, sources said. The 13 diverted flights later landed back in Mumbai after weather conditions improved.
Mumbai International Airport, jointly owned by the Adani Group and the Airports Authority of India, said in a statement, 'At approximately 10.17 am, adverse weather conditions, including strong gusty winds of up to 42 knots and reduced visibility due to heavy rain, impacted runway operations.' As per procedure, runway operations were 'temporarily suspended' to ensure safety. Normal operations resumed after an hour.
According to live flight tracking website flightradar24.com, around 90% of outbound flights were delayed by an average of 65 minutes, while 45% of incoming flights arrived late.
In a second such incident in a week, a 63-year-old man was killed after a tree collapsed on a shop during heavy rainfall in the Kurla area. Civic officials said the incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. near Hindi BMC School in Naupada, Kurla West. The victim, Yunus Kundawala, was extricated from the debris and rushed to Fauzia Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
On June 30, an 11-year-old boy was killed and several others injured after a tree fell onto a moving school bus in Chembur.
Videos on social media on Sunday showed a tree collapsing in front of industrialist Mukesh Ambani's security convoy in the Bandra area, briefly obstructing traffic.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) network of automatic rain gauges recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall at several locations across Mumbai during the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Sunday, with a couple of places receiving over 300 mm. The highest rainfall of 310.6 mm was recorded at the Building Proposal Office in Vikhroli West, followed by Colaba Pumping Station (306.6 mm) and Tagore Nagar Municipal School in Vikhroli (301.8 mm).
Areas receiving more than 200 mm included Malabar Hill, Mandavi Fire Station, Colaba, Memonwada Fire Station, Vikhroli Fire Station, Paspoli Municipal School in Powai, Bhandup Complex, Andheri Fire Station, Chakala Municipal School, Jogeshwari and Aarey Colony in Goregaon, according to BMC data.
The BMC urged people to strictly follow advisories and contact the civic body's helpline 1916 for immediate assistance in case of emergency. Citizens, particularly in low-lying areas and along the coastline, were advised to stay alert due to a high tide of 4.19 metres at 3:22 pm on Sunday. Heavy rains and high tides often trigger flooding in the city.
