Four persons were killed due to heavy rains and lightning in Madhya Pradesh while sharp showers swept several parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat signalling the arrival of delayed south-west monsoon.

The Met office forecast favourable conditions for advance of Southwest monsoon in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Mumbai and neighbouring Thane received light-to-heavy rainfall since last night, giving the people respite from a long spell of sweltering heat in Maharashtra. The downpour, however, affected normal life in the metropolis.

However, Northern Maharashtra, comprising Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar districts continued to face drought-like situation.

Four persons were killed due to heavy rains and lightning in two districts of Madhya Pradesh, police said.

Heavy rains lashed Bhopal yesterday claiming two lives in the district, while two others were killed by lightning in Seoni, they said.

Several parts in these two districts witnessed power failure and falling of trees. Traffic was thrown out of gear due to poor visibility and a number of cars were damaged.

The Meteorological Department at Pune has forecast rainfall in the next 48 hours at a few places in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha and Konkan region in Maharashtra.

Rains will also hit Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat, Goa, coastal Rayalaseema and Telangana in Andhra Pradesh in the next two days, the Met officials said.

In Mumbai, water-logging was reported at many low-lying areas, causing inconvenience to commuters.

"Water logging was reported in central Mumbai's Byculla, Parel, Mahalaxmi areas and Mahim, Goregaon and Milan Subway in the western suburbs," a Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) official said.

Eastern suburbs of Bhandup, Kurla and Mulund too witnessed water logging, the official said.

With the lake levels dipping in the absence of rains, the civic authorities had imposed 20 per cent water cut in the metropolis. The authorities apprehended that delay in rain would create problems in supplying water to the city's nearly 1.5-crore population.

In Goa, fishermen have been advised not to venture in high sea. A fishing ban is in place in the coastal areas for the next one-and-a-half-month beginning June 15.

The state also received light rains today. However, in Gujarat, dry spell continued in many parts of the state.