Bengaluru is bracing for an intense rainfall today as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for the city along with thunderstorms and lightning. On Thursday, life in Bangalore was thrown out of the city as fierce pre-monsoon thundershowers, accompanied by hail and gusty winds, lashed large parts of the city, leading to waterlogging. Trees were uprooted and Metro services were disrupted, leaving thousands of commuters stranded in massive traffic jams.
The IMD has forecast persistent pre-monsoon thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching up to 40 kmph for Bengaluru and the weather conditions are expected to remain unstable for the next three days, Deccan Herald reported, citing N Puviarasan, Head of the IMD Bengaluru Centre.
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IMD Senior scientist C S Patil told DH, "The Southwest Monsoon is expected to make landfall in Kerala around May 26, give or take four to five days, and is highly likely to advance into Karnataka during the first week of June."
While June is expected to see normal rainfall levels, Patil also urged caution for the latter part of the monsoon season. "An El Niño condition is projected to emerge in the Pacific Ocean starting July. This will weaken the trade winds and subsequently reduce the frequency of low-pressure systems forming over the Bay of Bengal. Consequently, while some districts will see normal rainfall, several parts of Karnataka may experience a deficit as the monsoon progresses," he added.
Bengaluru rain today
Bengaluru is likely to receive a heavy spell of rain till May 24 and a yellow alert will remain in place, the IMD's forecast stated. On Thursday, till 8.30pm, Bengaluru city recorded 44.2mm of rainfall, while the HAL area received only 3.8mm as intense showers lashed the city within minutes.
| Date | Forecast |
|---|
| 21-May | Thunderstorm with rain |
| 22-May | Thunderstorm with rain |
| 23-May | Thunderstorm with rain |
| 24-May | Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers |
| 25-May | Generally cloudy sky with light rain |
| 26-May | Generally cloudy sky with light rain |
| 27-May | Generally cloudy sky with light rain |
Metro services disrupted
The heavy rain disrupted Namma Metro services on the Purple and Green Lines after metal sheets fell onto the tracks near Hoodi and Benniganahalli. BMRCL also issued a statement on social media informing the commuters about the delays. "We request the cooperation of passengers. We regret this inconvenience," the BMRCL post read.
“Metro trains were extremely crowded, with security personnel pushing people into the coaches to close the doors. The interchange stations at Majestic and RV Road were packed, and commuters were jostling for space. Trains stopped for 3-4 minutes at each station,” commuter Subramanya told TOI.
Severe flooding reported
Several low-lying areas were severely affected by flooding, including Sankey Road, Brigade Road, SJP Road, Lalbagh Road, Sultanpet, Garudacharpalya, Varthur Kodi, and the vicinity of Vibgyor School. The KR Circle underpass was closed to traffic after being inundated.
Traffic movement was also disrupted near Domlur on Old Airport Road following a tree fall. Similar incidents were reported around Swami Vivekananda Road Metro Station, the Banaswadi–Horamavu underpass, Davis Road, and Machalibetta Junction near ITC Limited.
