The city's antiquated drainage system is struggling to cope with the downpours, prompting civic workers to use spades and crowbars to open clogged manholes to flush out the rainwater.

"Our locality looks like a sea. There is knee-deep water and rainwater is also entering many houses," Sylvester Nato, a resident of Bandra, among several neighbourhoods in the city's west badly affected by the overnight rains.

The downpours inundated several arterial roads in central and northern Mumbai and rainwater submerged rail tracks at some places. Air services were also running a little late.