Rain to continue till Deepavali in Bengaluru

Wet cloudy weather hovering over the city for the last two months may end only after Deepavali as the rains are likely to dampen the festivities this year.

According to a scientist from Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC), a cyclone from the Bay of Bengal is expected to hit the east coast of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by October 18 or 19. The cyclone is likely to absorb the moisture towards it, after which the city may get to see the sunshine.

S S M Gavaskar, a scientist at KSNDMC said that moderate to heavy rains will continue for another 4-5 days in parts of the city. He said that due to the active cyclonic weather conditions which is existing both in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, there is a trough (low atmospheric pressure area) formed over the south peninsula region which is causing heavy rains.

Gavaskar said the South-West monsoon has not existed yet and it is still lingering around. Ideally, the end of September is the end of monsoons rains, but this year it has been an extended one. The retreating monsoons or the North-East monsoons normally begin in October, but this year, the retreating monsoons are yet to arrive.

According to the statistics reported in Bengaluru Urban, the cyclonic rains which began in mid of August recorded an average of 206 mm as against the normal expected rainfall of 120 mm in just 15 days which is 72 % more departure than normal. The month of September recorded an average of 383 mm of rainfall as against 174 mm expected which is 120 % more departure than normal. In October, till date, KSNDMC has recorded 188 mm of rainfall as against 94 mm expected which is 100% more departure than normal.

Mixed reaction to the heavy rains

The scientist said that Varuna Mitra, the call centre exclusively used by farmers in the state has received all kinds of response from the citizens. He said that unlike the people in Bengaluru who are suffering due to water logging and flooding due to lack of outlets for the rainwater to flow, the farmers are very happy with the rainfall.

Gavaskar said that even though some of the farmers have lost their crops due to heavy rains, they are happy that their wells and lakes are full. He said their centre has received calls from farmers from Chitradurga, Tumkur, Kolar and other districts where lakes which had dried up for nearly 30 years has now been filled and at places even breached.