First day first 'show'ers: Mumbai wakes up to surprise unseasonal rains on Day 1 of New Year

Mumbai, Jan 1 (PTI) The New Year began on a rainy note for Mumbaikars as several parts of the country's financial capital witnessed moderate to heavy showers on Thursday morning.

Instead of welcoming the year with the first rays of sunshine, parts of Mumbai, especially the island city, were greeted by rains.

The rains began shortly after 5 am. While it was more intense in several areas, many other places experienced drizzle. The intensity gradually reduced after 6.15 am.

Social media users reacted to the unexpected weather.

Now who would have thought that it's going to rain on the very first day of 2026, wrote Rahul Bilve on X.

Another user, Muffi Kapadia, wrote, #MumbaiRains welcoming 2026 with unseasonal showers. Beautiful weather nevertheless.

The unseasonal rains made the weather pleasant in the metropolis with cool breezes throughout the day, many residents said.

The city sky was overcast with thick clouds for the next few hours, before it got clear for the rest of the day.

A civic official said that from 4 am to 8 am, the island city of Mumbai recorded an average rainfall of 5.37 mm, while the eastern and western suburbs received 0.38 mm and 2.79 mm rainfall respectively, they added.

The region adjoining Mumbai city, including its satellite township Navi Mumbai and parts of Thane, also witnessed showers in the morning. PTI KK NR NP