Mumbai’s monsoon of 2011 has now arrived with a bang!

Notwithstanding the wonderful clean vegetation and wholesome smell of early rains, sometimes it does not just rain here, it pours down relentlessly.  Like it did on Saturday, June 11.

A 45 minute drive took 2.5 hours and felt like much longer. Taxi cabs and autorickshaws that run on cylinders of natural gas found themselves stranded by road sides and caused major traffic jams. The water on roads where drainage was poor, including parts of Western Expressway, became mini-lakes and rivulets. It wasn’t until the next day that I read in the newspaper just how much it had rained that day. Parts of the city had received 166 mm of rain; that’s 6.5+ inches for any Americans out there.

But, even given this rate of rainfall – which after all happens every year like clock work – should roads really look like this? Wow!

Click on the thumbnails below to view images in all their rain drenched glory.

Flood warning! Or just another monsoon day?

Water-logged Mumbai Street - What an understatement!

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And then.  Sunday dawned. We forgot about the relentless downpours of the day before. Instead, we warmly welcomed and relished a gentle monsoon lull.

Check these out.  Of Beautiful Mumbai!

 [All photos courtesy of vishalphotography.com].

June 12, 2011-Vast Clouds Over the City of Mumbai

Impressive Mumbai Skyline on a Lazy, Monsoon Sunday Afternoon