Excess rainfall outlook for State next week

From struggling to cope with depleting water levels at major reservoirs, Karnataka has now moved onto the scenario where it may witness for the next week what the weatherman is calling “excess rains”.

Bangalore already has received the highest recorded rain since 1891 in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Saturday.

Officially, monsoon is yet to reach Karnataka, but according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre’s (KSNDMS) report, Bangalore recorded 109 mm of precipitation in 24 hours, higher than the 101.6 mm recorded on June 16 in 1891, 122 years ago.

Over the same 24-hour period, South Interior Karnataka (SIK) recorded 26.8 mm of rain while North Interior Karnataka witnessed 20.8 mm. Malnad and coastal zones recorded 19.5 mm and 24.5 mm, respectively.

Chikkiotankal in Manvi Taluk, Raichur, recorded the highest rainfall — 181.5 mm — while the lowest temperature — 17.5 degrees Celsius — was recorded in Madikeri Hobli, Kodagu at 7.30 am on Saturday. The maximum temperature — 41.1 degrees Celsius recorded at 4:30 pm —was experienced in Chincholi Hobli, Gulbarga.

The Meteorology Department has issued a fisherman’s warning all along the Karnataka coast as strong onshore winds are blowing from northwest to westerly direction, at the speed of 45-55 kmph, which is unsafe for fishermen venturing out to sea.

More than 7 cm of rain is expected along the coast over the next few days, which, authorities say, is due to the onset of the monsoon which has already reached Kerala.

“We have also issued a warning of heavy rainfall over South Interior Karnataka and Central Karnataka for the next 48 hours. This is due to a cloudburst resulting from excess heat. It is expected to subside in two days, and the rain is expected to pick up again from June 6,” an official said.

KSNDMS has issued 41 alerts of over-100-mm rain in 24 hours across the state, and officials say that the monsoon is expected to hit Karnataka in a couple of days.
By late Saturday, Bangalore had recorded 12.8 mm of rain in the city, and, 3.5 mm at the old airport (HAL).

Many parts of the city were inundated, with water having entered houses in many low-lying areas like Ejipura, Shantinagar and Basaveshwara Nagar.

Movement of vehicles was affected in many parts of the city, with throughfares like Residency Road, Richmond Road and areas like Shivananda Circle witnessing vehicles partly submerged in water.

Monsoon arrives in Kerala
The south-west monsoon finally arrived in Kerala and Lakshadweep on Saturday, following scattered pre-monsoon showers, reports DHNS from Thiruvananthapuram.