Evening rain blocks roads, knocks down trees across Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Heavy rain and strong winds lashed Bengaluru on Thursday evening, triggering severe traffic congestion and flooding across several parts of the city.

The sudden downpour began during peak rush hour, catching commuters off guard on their way home.

Several roads and low-lying underpasses were quickly submerged, bringing traffic to a near standstill in many areas.

At the Madiwala underpass, waterlogging completely halted vehicle movement.

The flooding led to massive bumper-to-bumper traffic jams stretching up to Silk Board Junction. Traffic also slowed significantly at Sarakki Signal toward JP Nagar 3rd Phase, while flooding near Bilekahalli choked the stretch leading to HSBC Junction.

Waterlogged roads caused similar disruptions for motorists travelling toward Roobi Junction via Kubera Junction.

Slow-moving traffic and flooding were also reported on stretches from Roopena Agrahara to Bommanahalli, Hulimavu Gate, Bismillah Junction, and from Sagar Junction to Dairy Circle.

Adding to the chaos

The rain was accompanied by strong winds that uprooted trees and snapped branches, blocking major roads across the city.

Near Kodigehalli village, a large tree collapsed across multiple lanes, creating a major bottleneck.

Traffic came to a complete halt near RV Dental College after another tree fell across the road toward Aravinda Junction. On the 100 Feet Ring Road, a fallen tree blocked lanes leading to Jayadeva Hospital, causing long delays.

In another incident, a large tree fell beneath the metro pillars near 27th Cross Junction, obstructing traffic moving toward South End Circle.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) used chainsaws to clear fallen trees and opened clogged stormwater drains to restore the movement of vehicles.