Four hours of torrential rain brings down mercury

A scaffolding collapsed at Lido Mall off MG Road on Wednesday. DH PHOTO/B K JANARDHAN

A young cyclist stuck in the flooded underpass at Muthyala Nagar near Mathikere.  

Torrential pre-monsoon rainfall lashed different parts of Bengaluru on Wednesday, uprooting trees and damaging electricity poles in some parts of the city.

The heavy rains, coupled with thunderstorms, lasted more than four hours, flooding many roads and traffic intersections. Barring the uprooting of trees and damage to electricity poles in eastern and southern Bengaluru, the rains did not create much havoc.

According to meteorologists from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the intensity of the rainfall ranged from moderate to rather heavy and that it was uniform across Bengaluru, varying from 2 mm to 30 mm. The rainfall data released until 8.30 pm showed that KG Halli in eastern Bengaluru received the highest rainfall at 37 mm.

Detailed data from the KSNDMC revealed that southern, eastern and western Bengaluru received heavy rainfall, in addition to some places in Kolar and Ramanagaram districts. Anekal taluk, in Bengaluru Urban district, too received heavy rainfall.

BBMP officials said heavy winds uprooted at least five trees, severely affecting some bird species. In Srinagar, South Bengaluru, more than 25 birds of three different species died while a few were struggling to fly.

“Tree uprooting was reported from Halasuru, Jayamahal Raod, Viveknagar, Mico Layout and Byatarayanapura. There were no complaints of waterlogging from any BBMP zone,” an official in the civic body’s control room said.

Dr G S Srinivasa Reddy, Director, KSNDMC, attributed the rainfall to an upper air cyclonic circulation over the peninsular region. “The situation will continue for another two days over south interior Karnataka, resulting in light to moderate rainfall, especially during evenings and late evenings, with thunderstorms and gusty winds,” Dr Reddy told DH.

He also forecast the thunderstorm would reduce the mercury by a few degrees in the coming days.