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At least four people have died in India’s financial capital Mumbai and the surrounding region due to storms and heavy rains. Schools had to close and train services were disrupted, according to official and local reports on Thursday.

In some parts of the city, more than 230 millimetres (nine inches) of rain fell within five hours on Wednesday evening, the Times of India newspaper reported, citing data from local weather stations.

Local television showed images on Wednesday evening of stressed commuters in various parts of Mumbai struggling through knee-deep water that had partially submerged vehicles.

A 45-year-old woman drowned in the suburb of Andheri, a city official told AFP.

Two workers were also killed in a lightning strike in the town of Kalyan, about 40 kilometers outside Mumbai, while another woman drowned near a waterfall in Khopoli, local media reported.

On Thursday, schools were closed and city authorities urged residents to stay away from their homes if possible.

Water on the tracks of local railway companies caused trains to be delayed and only run at “cautious speed” on Wednesday evening.

“When the water recedes, the train will continue its journey to your destination,” India’s central bank said in a post on X.

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