Heavy rain could put a dampener on the lavish Ambani wedding, with flight delays and flooded roads in Mumbai
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- An orange alert for heavy rainfall has been issued in Mumbai for the coming days.
- The weather warning coincides with the Ambani wedding, featuring a star-studded guest list.
- Over half the flights arriving in Mumbai on Friday are delayed, and Air India is warning travelers to leave extra time.
Heavy rain could put a dampener on the celebrations of Anant Ambani and his wife-to-be, Radhika Merchant at their lavish wedding in Mumbai this weekend.
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for the Maharashtra region, where Mumbai is situated, due to the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next five days.
Anant Ambani, the son of India's richest person, Mukesh Ambani, is celebrating his ceremony across an opulent three days of festivities, with a star-studded guest list including Kim Kardashian and John Kerry, the former US secretary of state, according to CNBC TV-18, which obtained the guest list from event organizers.
After a string of extravagant celebrations beginning in March, billionaire Ambani's youngest child will marry Radhika Merchant, the daughter of Viren and Shaila Merchant, both pharmaceutical tycoons, in Mumbai.
The weather warning is attributed to a monsoon trough and cyclonic circulation over the state of Maharashtra. Heavy rain is common during India's monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
Mumbai recorded almost 30 centimeters of rain in a single day earlier in the week, Bloomberg reported.
Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas
An orange warning is an "alert" under the IMD's system, and according to the Times of India, it can include weather that disrupts transport and travel, lowered visibility, and, in some areas, can cause landslips.
Heavy rain on Friday caused some roads in the city to flood, the Times of India reported.
Due to the heavy rains, Air India issued an important update in a post on X on Friday, encouraging passengers to depart early to the airport to avoid delays.
"Flights to and from Mumbai are getting affected due to heavy rains," the post said.
"Guests are advised to start early for the airport, as slow traffic and waterlogging may delay movement."
The Press Trust of India uploaded a video to X showing waterlogging following heavy rainfall at terminal two of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the airport's terminal for international flights.
According to data from FlightRadar24, as of 12 p.m. ET Friday, around 57% of flights arriving in Mumbai had been delayed, while around 79% of departures were late.