Monsoon Mayhem: Mumbai Lashed by Earliest Rains in 75 Years, Six Lives Lost Across Maharashtra
In a grim reminder of the growing ferocity of nature, Mumbai bore the brunt of the earliest monsoon arrival in over seven decades, with torrential rains on Monday claiming six lives and plunging several districts into chaos.
The India Meteorological Department confirmed that the southwest monsoon hit Mumbai more than two weeks ahead of schedule &mdash; the earliest onset in 75 years &mdash; unleashing a deluge that prompted the upgrade of the city&rsquo;s weather alert from orange to red, indicating the likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall.
The skies cracked open with fury, and tragedy followed swiftly. Four people were fatally struck by lightning in separate incidents, while another drowned in Ratnagiri after being swept away while cycling across a bridge inundated by floodwaters. The sixth victim, a teenager from Kalyan taluka, also perished in a lightning strike amid stormy conditions.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the administration to maintain high alert for rescue and relief operations. Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were dispatched to vulnerable zones in Konkan, Sangli, Satara, and Kolhapur, while three teams remain permanently stationed in Mumbai.
The downpour wreaked havoc beyond the city limits. In Thane, Palghar, and parts of Konkan, roads and rail lines disappeared beneath floodwaters. Bridges were overwhelmed, farmlands submerged, and entire families were evacuated to safer ground as rivers breached their banks.
In Raigad&rsquo;s Karjat, 30-year-old Roshan Kalekar was struck down by lightning, while Vikram Karale (55) and Ranjanabai Samudhay (55) met a similar fate in Latur&rsquo;s Ahmedpur tehsil. The storm also claimed the life of 16-year-old Yash Late in Kalyan, and in Pune, four calves perished in a lightning strike at a local farm.
The force of the rain was unforgiving in Dapoli tehsil of Ratnagiri, where 48-year-old Rajendra Kolambe was swept away, adding to the death toll as temples, villages and farmlands near rivers were submerged in the surge.
As the season of showers begins with such fury, Mumbai and its neighbouring districts are bracing for what may be a long and perilous monsoon.

Early rains lashes Mumbai  (image source social media)

Earliest monsoon in 75 years batters Mumbai and Maharashtra, leaves trail of death, damage

Mumbai Monsoon Havoc: 6 Dead, Floods Wreak Chaos

Earliest monsoon in 75 years batters Mumbai and Maharashtra, leaves trail of death, damage

May 27, 2025 | 13:20 IST