The IMD alert came a day after Mahalaxmi Express got stuck in water near Thane

Five trains have been cancelled and six have been diverted in Mumbai due to heavy rain and flooding of tracks in some areas, the Central Railway said today.

The India Meteorological Department had predicted "heavy to very heavy" rain in Mumbai today, including "extremely heavy" rain in isolated places.

The alert came a day after a passenger train, Mahalaxmi Express, got stuck in water on an open ground near Thane when heavy rain caused Ulhas river to breach its banks.

Hundreds of people were rescued by the National Disaster Response Force, the Army, the Navy and teams from the railways in an operation that lasted the entire day.

The IMD forecast for today said there would be widespread rainfall across Maharashtra, which will be especially beneficial for Marathwada and Vidarbha, both regions having got deficit rainfall so far this season.

Mumbai and its suburbs, Thane, Palghar and Pune have received rainfall in excess of the normal average between June 1 and July 24, it said.

Seasonal state-level rainfall figures have not been updated as yet, an IMD officer said.