Dust Storm Hits Mumbai, IMD Issues Thunderstorm Warning; Local Trains, Traffic Disrupted

Mumbai: A sudden dust storm swept across Mumbai on Friday afternoon, reducing visibility and disrupting normal life in the city. The blinding dust clouds and gusty winds affected vehicular traffic and led to delays in local train services.

‘Nowcast Warning Issued’

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city may witness a thunderstorm in the next few hours. The weather office issued a ‘Nowcast’ warning, stating,“Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and light spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Mumbai during the next 3-4 hours.”

The IMD has advised citizens to exercise caution and avoid stepping out unless necessary.   

Local Train Services Hit

Meanwhile, the mainline services of the Central Railway were briefly affected around 3:15 pm after strong winds blew off a corrugated sheet roof. The sheet got entangled in the overhead electric wires near Atgaon station, situated between Kasara and Kalyan, approximately 60 km from Mumbai.

Railway officials confirmed that repair and clearance work was underway and efforts were being made to restore normal services at the earliest. The dust storm caught several Mumbaikars off guard, with many sharing visuals of darkened skies and swirling dust on social media platforms.

This week, several parts of Maharashtra have witnessed unseasonal rainfall, adding to the unusual weather conditions. Regions such as Vidarbha, Marathwada, and North Maharashtra recorded scattered showers, while areas closer to Mumbai — including Karjat and Kasara — also experienced light rain two days ago.