Heavy Rain Threatens Ambani Wedding with Flight Delays, Flooded Mumbai Roads

• 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 damper on the celebrations of Anant Ambani and his fiancée, 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, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next five days.

Anant Ambani, the son of India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, is celebrating his nuptials with three days of opulent festivities. The star-studded guest list reportedly includes Kim Kardashian and John Kerry, the former US Secretary of State, according to CNBC TV-18, which received the guest list from event organizers.

After a string of extravagant celebrations starting in March, billionaire Ambani’s youngest child is set to marry Radhika Merchant, the daughter of Viren and Shaila Merchant, both pharmaceutical tycoons, in Mumbai.

The weather warning is due 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, according to Bloomberg.

An orange warning is an “alert” under the India Meteorological Department’s system. According to the Times of India, it can involve weather that disrupts transport and travel, lowers visibility, and in some areas, causes landslips.

Heavy rain on Friday led to flooding on some roads in the city, as reported by the Times of India.

Owing to the heavy rains, Air India issued a bulletin on X, urging passengers to head to the airport early 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 about 79% of departures were late.

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