BENGALURU: Much-awaited rains finally came to Bengaluru on Wednesday afternoon. While the city rejoiced at the sight of overcast skies, the rains turned tragic for a 27-year-old delivery boy, who was killed when one of the 25 trees that got uprooted across the city fell on him near Lumbini Gardens in Amruthahalli police limits.
The rainfall recorded in the city varied from from 0.5mm to 73.5mm, with Banaswadi recording the highest at 73.5mm and Hesaraghatta the least with only 0.5mm. Banaswadi, Kushal Nagar, Kavalbairasandra and Sanjaynagar witnessed hailstones when the thunderstorm struck Bengaluru late Wednesday afternoon.
It was the pouring rain accompanied by heavy winds which uprooted 25 trees across the city, which saw Kiran, the 27-year-old delivery boy being killed when the uprooting tree branch struck the youth’s head, killing him on the spot.
Amruthahalli Police said the incident took place around 4.30 pm when Kiran, on a delivery errand, parked his vehicle by the roadside to take shelter from heavy rains near Lumbini Gardens.
The tree branch fell on his head causing severe bleeding. He was immediately rushed to M S Ramaiah Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Traffic jams due to tree fall, rain Heavy rains caused a two-hour traffic congestion in several parts of the city, worsening the already messy traffic that Bengaluru experiences daily during peak hours.
Tree fall was recorded in north and east Bengaluru areas like Hebbala, Kammanahalli, Ganganagar, Shyamapura, R T Nagar and Tin Factory and south Bengaluru areas like Jayanagar, Arakere, Basvanagudi and Nagarabhavi.
BBMP personnel reported a snake being spotted in rain water near Ramamurthy Nagar and an electric pole collapsing due to heavy rain near M S Ramaiah Hospital.
RELIEF
After facing scorching heat with temperatures going up to 36.5 degree Celsius, the pre-monsoon showers brought a smile to residents of the city. Many took to social media to post pictures of the unexpected showers.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), rains were expected on Wednesday as there was the presence of a trough in South Interior Karnataka including wind discontinuity. “By trough, we mean that the atmospheric pressure is less in the area, when the pressure is less, clouds move to that area which results in a thunderstorm and rainfall. The other reason is wind discontinuity where the east and winds come and merge in one direction which creates a low pressure area,” said Dr GS Srinivas Reddy, Director of the KSNDMC.
“The high temperatures caused convective cloud formation which are resulting in hailstones,” said the KSNDMC official. Reddy said, “The pre monsoon showers are very difficult to predict. We can only get to know one or two hours before it starts raining,” he said.
‘Vote before 3pm’
With the first phase of election today, the political heat seems to have come down with Wednesday’s showers. Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC) Director Srinivas Reddy appealed to people to vote before 3 pm on Thursday as it will rain later in the afternoon. According to KSNDMC forecast, there will be light to moderate rainfall on Thursday at isolated areas in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, Mandya, Ramanagara, Hassan, Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Chitradurga and Tumkur. “It will be with heavy thunder and lightening,’’ Srinivas Reddy said. “We appeal voters to cast their vote before late afternoon,’’ he said.