Bengaluru records wettest April day as powerful hailstorm hits city

The IMD said that the minimum temperature in the city dropped sharply to 18°C, well below the normal of 22.5°C. Gusty winds reaching up to 75 kmph swept across several parts of Bengaluru.

Bengaluru: Many streets in Bengaluru's core areas were blanketed with pellets of white ice after a powerful hailstorm struck the city on Wednesday evening, bringing much-needed relief from the intense summer heat and setting a new record for the wettest April day.

By 8.30 pm, the Bengaluru City observatory had recorded 110 mm of rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, breaking the long-standing record for the wettest April day.

The previous 24-hour high was 108.6 mm, set on April 19, 2001. The total is expected to rise further as rain continues in many parts of the city. The IMD will update the reading at 8.30 am on Thursday.

The minimum temperature in the city dropped sharply to 18°C, well below the normal of 22.5°C. Gusty winds reaching up to 75 kmph swept across several parts of Bengaluru, the IMD added.

The HAL Airport observatory recorded 34.2 mm of rainfall in the 12-hour period ending at 8.30 pm.

Many Bengalureans said they had not seen such an intense hailstorm in living memory.

"The hailstorm is due to convective activity caused by elevated heat levels. Low-level wind discontinuity, coupled with moisture convergence, aided its development," N Puviarasan, Scientist 'E' and head of the IMD's Bengaluru Meteorological Centre, told DH.

While pre-monsoon showers arrived in North Interior Karnataka about 10 days ago and in South Interior Karnataka on April 28, the IMD had not specifically forecast a hailstorm for Bengaluru.

Hailstorm activity had instead been forecast for districts such as Mysuru and Hassan but storm systems shifted eastwards towards Bengaluru. For Bengaluru, the IMD had forecast only a thunderstorm.

By 5.30 pm, however, the IMD issued an orange alert for the next three hours, forecasting moderate rain/thundershowers accompanied by hail and gusty winds at isolated places.

It warned of temporary disruption of electricity supply in some areas, minor traffic snarls, and possible damage to unsecured structures, along with the uprooting of weak tree branches.

The IMD has now forecast scattered hailstorms for South Interior Karnataka (SIK), which includes Bengaluru, on April 30. Thereafter, rainfall is expected to decrease while temperatures may remain higher than normal. On May 1, rain or thundershowers are likely in the afternoon or evening over Bengaluru.

Waterlogged metro platforms

Commuters rushing home after work reported long wait times at many metro stations as train services slowed due to the rains. Many commuters said they were unable to enter as platforms were waterlogged. As a result, long lines formed at concourses and station entrances.