BENGALURU: In just three hours on Sunday -- from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm -- Bengaluru recorded 30mm of rainfall. It was accompanied by thunder, lightning, hail and strong winds. Many parts of Bengaluru came under hailstones, especially in North and West Bengaluru, including Malleswaram, Rajajinagar, Shivajinagar, Mehkri Circle, Hebbal, Yeshwantpur, Banaswadi, Magadi Road and surrounding areas. The sudden downpour led to flooding in most parts of the city and also power cuts.
“Winds were strong and gusty, and the sky was overcast. It felt like 6 pm even at 3 pm. Suddenly there was loud thunder, coupled with lightning, and then a sudden heavy downpour. We could see cars suddenly coming to a halt on the road,” said Mayank Agarwal, a resident of Rajajinagar.
According to India Meteorological Department officials, while Bengaluru city recorded thundershowers on Sunday afternoon, other parts of south interior Karnataka experienced light to moderate rainfall, including the districts of Kolar, Tumakuru and Chikkaballapur.
As per IMD data, the city had recorded 30mm of rainfall till 5.30pm, while HAL airport recorded 25.1mm and KIA recorded 8.6mm. Till 8.30pm, the city recorded 31.4mm and HAL airport recorded 26.5mm of rainfall. An intense spell of rain was reported from 3.30-4pm, when most parts of the city recorded 24mm rainfall. “Such thundershowers in the city are normal, especially in the month of May, as part of pre-monsoon showers.
The rainfall on Saturday and Sunday was because of local deep convection, where cumino nimbus clouds had formed deep in the atmosphere. There was also a sheer zone, coupled with moisture in the air and instability, there were hailstones and thundershowers. Last year too, similar incidents were reported in May. An alert was issued, warning of heavy rainfall, and officials of government departments, including DCs, are informed, but little attention is paid to the alerts,” said the IMD official.
The IMD has forecast rain over most parts of Karnataka for the next five days -- heavy downpour for the first three days and gradual reduction on day four and five.