Mumbai woke up to chaos on Monday as the southwest monsoon arrived 16 days early, bringing the city’s wettest May day in 107 years. With over 295 mm of rainfall recorded at Colaba, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had upgraded its warning to a red alert on Monday, signalling more intense rain was on the way. For today and tomorrow, IMD has issued a yellow alert (moderate rainfall, be cautious in low-lying areas and carry an umbrella).

The Colaba downpour shattered the previous May record of 279.4 mm set in 1918, while other areas like Bandra, Juhu, Sion, and Chembur saw 30–70 mm by 11 am. The early monsoon onset has left key parts of the city, especially South and South Central Mumbai, waterlogged, disrupting roads, railways, and even hospitals.