Heavy rainfall across Maharashtra has led to severe waterlogging on the Pune-Solapur highway, with the road vanishing underwater and resembling that of a river. Videos have gone viral showing few cars being swept away due to waterlogging on the highway.

The southwest monsoon arrived in Maharashtra on Sunday, making it the earliest onset of the annual rainfall season over the state in 35 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The administration has started relief work and issued warnings to commuters to plan their travel accordingly during the inclement weather. The weather department has warned of more rain in the next few hours.

Meanwhile, the monsoon is expected to advance to Mumbai and some other parts over the next three days, the IMD said.

In 1990, the southwest monsoon made onset over Maharashtra on May 20, IMD scientist Sushma Nair was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

In Maharashtra, the coastal Konkan stretch and Mumbai have been witnessing heavy pre-monsoon rain over the past two days.

“Conditions are favourable for further advance into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai, Karnataka including Bengaluru, some parts of Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, more parts of west-central and North Bay of Bengal and some more parts of North Eastern states during next three days,” the IMD said.

The southwest monsoon hit Kerala on Saturday, marking its earliest arrival over the Indian mainland since 2009 when it had reached the southern state on May 23.

Normally, the monsoon marks its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.

It usually reaches Maharashtra around June 7 and Mumbai on June 11.

(with inputs from PTI)