School children and office goers in Mumbai rushed home on Wednesday as the government went into disaster control mode with Cyclone Phyan expected to hit India's western coast.
As heavy rains continued, with the cyclone expected to hit some time Wednesday or Thursday, all schools and colleges were ordered to shut down at 1 pm.
"This is a precautionary measure and to ensure that children do not get caught or stranded due to the inclement weather conditions," said an official of the education department.
It also advised private offices to allow their employees, especially those living in far-flung suburbs, to leave work places early.
The authorities have also permitted women employees in public and private sectors to rush home after half-day (post-lunch).
The non-stop rains over the city, coupled with a thick cloud cover, reduced visibility at the airport.
According to an official of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, incoming flights were getting delayed by an hour and departures were around 15 minutes behind schedules.
"So far, till 1 pm, there have been no flight diversions or cancellations," he said.
Though there were traffic jams on the main roads in the city, suburban train services operated normally.
Attendance at malls, multiplexes, cinemas and other public places was affected as people preferred to remain indoors till the effects of the cyclone pass over.
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