<p>Bengaluru: Torrential rain, hail and strong winds battered Bengaluru on Thursday evening, flooding several parts of the city and throwing traffic and daily life into chaos during peak commuting hours.</p>.<p>The rain intensified around 6.30 pm, turning roads in several central and north eastern areas into stretches of murky water.</p>.<p>KR Market, Corporation Circle, Sampangi Rama Nagar and nearby roads saw knee-deep to waist-deep flooding in some places, slowing movement and making travel risky for motorists and pedestrians.</p>.<p>Many commuters heading home found potholes, medians and kerbs hidden beneath the water.</p>.<p>Tree fall incidents were reported from several parts of the city, worsening congestion on already clogged roads. Affected stretches included Swami Vivekananda Road metro station towards CMH Hospital, the Banaswadi Horamavu underpass towards Kalyan Nagar, Pulakeshinagar towards Richardson Road and Davis Road, and Machalibetta Junction towards ITC Limited.</p>.<p>“A fallen branch completely blocked the road and fell onto the two-wheeler parking area, damaging several bikes. We had complained to the authorities earlier about the tree, but no action was taken,” said Miriam, a resident of Shanthala Nagar near Brigade Road.</p>.Bengaluru reels under rain havoc as flooded roads trigger traffic chaos across city.<p>Traffic crawled or totally stopped on several major roads, including Windsor Manor Bridge towards Palace Cross, Mysuru Road towards Veterinary Junction, Brigade Road towards Opera Junction, and stretches near Majestic, Lulu Mall, Lalbagh and Town Hall.</p>.<p>Shopkeepers and residents in low-lying areas such as KR Market reported water entering shops and damaging stock and property. Several vehicles and two-wheelers stalled on flooded roads.</p>.<p><strong>Commuters struggle for rides</strong></p>.<p>Commuters said app-based cab and auto fares surged sharply as demand spiked.</p>.<p>“The app fares skyrocketed instantly. Finding a cab or auto was an absolute nightmare. The apps were showing crazy surge pricing, nearly double the normal rate just to go a few kilometres and drivers kept cancelling on me. I eventually had to wade through knee-deep water just to reach an overcrowded metro station,” a commuter told DH.</p>.<p>Commuters in the Central Business District (CBD) also struggled to find transport.</p>.<p>“After not being able to get a cab on any of the ride aggregator platforms for about an hour, I tried hailing two autos since we were five people. The drivers demanded Rs 800 each from MG Road to Rajajinagar. It is supposed to cost Rs 150 to Rs 170,” said 28-year-old Chandana S.</p>.<p>Many auto drivers also refused trips to heavily waterlogged areas.</p>.Bengaluru reels under rain havoc as flooded roads trigger traffic chaos across city.<p>“I had to pay Rs 200 extra for a ride from RT Nagar to Sahakar Nagar. I booked a ride on Ola, and the driver demanded extra after arriving at the location,” said 39-year-old Dinesh Jain.</p>.<p>People reported unusually long travel times on arterial roads leading to the Outer Ring Road, Silk Board, Hebbal and Whitefield, with buses and cabs caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours.</p>.<p><span class="bold">2 Bengaluru-bound flights diverted</span></p>.<p>The weather also disrupted flight operations.</p>.<p>An IndiGo flight, 6E 314, from Hyderabad to Bengaluru was diverted to Chennai at 6.20 pm due to bad weather, an airport representative said.</p>.<p>Around the same time, IndiGo flight 6E 332 from Bareilly to Bengaluru was diverted to Coimbatore.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Torrential rain, hail and strong winds battered Bengaluru on Thursday evening, flooding several parts of the city and throwing traffic and daily life into chaos during peak commuting hours.</p>.<p>The rain intensified around 6.30 pm, turning roads in several central and north eastern areas into stretches of murky water.</p>.<p>KR Market, Corporation Circle, Sampangi Rama Nagar and nearby roads saw knee-deep to waist-deep flooding in some places, slowing movement and making travel risky for motorists and pedestrians.</p>.<p>Many commuters heading home found potholes, medians and kerbs hidden beneath the water.</p>.<p>Tree fall incidents were reported from several parts of the city, worsening congestion on already clogged roads. Affected stretches included Swami Vivekananda Road metro station towards CMH Hospital, the Banaswadi Horamavu underpass towards Kalyan Nagar, Pulakeshinagar towards Richardson Road and Davis Road, and Machalibetta Junction towards ITC Limited.</p>.<p>“A fallen branch completely blocked the road and fell onto the two-wheeler parking area, damaging several bikes. We had complained to the authorities earlier about the tree, but no action was taken,” said Miriam, a resident of Shanthala Nagar near Brigade Road.</p>.Bengaluru reels under rain havoc as flooded roads trigger traffic chaos across city.<p>Traffic crawled or totally stopped on several major roads, including Windsor Manor Bridge towards Palace Cross, Mysuru Road towards Veterinary Junction, Brigade Road towards Opera Junction, and stretches near Majestic, Lulu Mall, Lalbagh and Town Hall.</p>.<p>Shopkeepers and residents in low-lying areas such as KR Market reported water entering shops and damaging stock and property. Several vehicles and two-wheelers stalled on flooded roads.</p>.<p><strong>Commuters struggle for rides</strong></p>.<p>Commuters said app-based cab and auto fares surged sharply as demand spiked.</p>.<p>“The app fares skyrocketed instantly. Finding a cab or auto was an absolute nightmare. The apps were showing crazy surge pricing, nearly double the normal rate just to go a few kilometres and drivers kept cancelling on me. I eventually had to wade through knee-deep water just to reach an overcrowded metro station,” a commuter told DH.</p>.<p>Commuters in the Central Business District (CBD) also struggled to find transport.</p>.<p>“After not being able to get a cab on any of the ride aggregator platforms for about an hour, I tried hailing two autos since we were five people. The drivers demanded Rs 800 each from MG Road to Rajajinagar. It is supposed to cost Rs 150 to Rs 170,” said 28-year-old Chandana S.</p>.<p>Many auto drivers also refused trips to heavily waterlogged areas.</p>.Bengaluru reels under rain havoc as flooded roads trigger traffic chaos across city.<p>“I had to pay Rs 200 extra for a ride from RT Nagar to Sahakar Nagar. I booked a ride on Ola, and the driver demanded extra after arriving at the location,” said 39-year-old Dinesh Jain.</p>.<p>People reported unusually long travel times on arterial roads leading to the Outer Ring Road, Silk Board, Hebbal and Whitefield, with buses and cabs caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours.</p>.<p><span class="bold">2 Bengaluru-bound flights diverted</span></p>.<p>The weather also disrupted flight operations.</p>.<p>An IndiGo flight, 6E 314, from Hyderabad to Bengaluru was diverted to Chennai at 6.20 pm due to bad weather, an airport representative said.</p>.<p>Around the same time, IndiGo flight 6E 332 from Bareilly to Bengaluru was diverted to Coimbatore.</p>
