India’s monsoon lashes Mumbai as rains arrive early

AFP | Mumbai

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Lashing rains swamped India’s financial capital Mumbai yesterday as the annual monsoon arrived some two weeks earlier than usual, according to weather forecasters.

Heavy rains cooling temperatures -- welcomed by farmers for their crops but which cause havoc each year in cities by flooding transport infrastructure -- are normally expected in the southwestern state of Maharashtra in early June.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of “extremely heavy rainfall” in Mumbai and the city authorities said a red alert had been issued until Tuesday.

“All citizens are advised to stay indoors and avoid travel unless necessary” the city authorities said in a statement, urging people to “kindly cooperate”.

The IMD said in a statement that the rains had advanced to Mumbai on Monday, “16 days earlier than usual”, with rains usually expected around June 11, the earliest for nearly a quarter century.

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