Bengaluru weather update: Nights to get chillier; Karnataka to continue receiving pre-monsoon showers

Bengaluru received 46 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Saturday, with another 10.6 mm in the evening.

Bengaluru: It's time to pull out your sweaters and jackets as Bengaluru and several other parts of Karnataka will continue to receive pre-monsoon thundershowers for the next three to four days, marked by a dip in temperatures.

However, the situation will be altogether different when the southwest monsoon sets in by the second week of June. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a weaker-than-normal monsoon over most of Karnataka, with above-normal temperatures.

Bengaluru and some eastern districts will be an exception and are expected to receive normal monsoon rainfall, said N Puviarasan, Scientist 'F' and head of the Meteorological Centre at IMD, Bengaluru.

On Saturday morning, the minimum temperature in Bengaluru City fell to 19.8°C, a dip of 1.5°C and the lowest since 2023. The maximum temperature stood at 31.8°C, just 0.2°C below normal.

While the near-normal maximum temperature meant the day was warm, the fall in minimum temperature gave Bengalureans a chillier night.

The city received 46 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Saturday, with another 10.6 mm in the evening.

Bengaluru City has received 195.3 mm of rainfall this May, well above the monthly average of 128.7 mm. However, the rainfall has neither been uniform nor widespread across the city. HAL Airport, for instance, has received only 54.4 mm, far below its monthly average of 110.4 mm.

Puviarasan explained that pre-monsoon showers would continue in parts of Karnataka for another three days.

On Sunday, some parts of Coastal and South Interior Karnataka will receive heavy rainfall, while Bengaluru is expected to get moderate rainfall.

"The upper-air circulation is moving from east to west. There will be convective activity over Coastal and South Interior Karnataka. Temperatures will remain below normal for the next three days. Rainfall will then decrease until the monsoon arrives," he told DH.

In June, the official said, temperatures in Karnataka will stay above normal as the monsoon is expected to be weak.

"The situation is not very favourable for the onset of the monsoon. Even Kerala is expected to get it only around June 3 or 4. After Kerala, it usually takes two days for a strong monsoon to reach Karnataka. But since it'll be a weak monsoon, Karnataka will most probably get it only by the second week of June," he explained.

Peninsular India, including districts in the Malnad region, is expected to receive below-normal monsoon rainfall, but eastern parts of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, are likely to receive a normal monsoon, he added.

While continued rainfall and a fall in temperature will be good news for Bengalureans, the showers have exposed the city's crumbling infrastructure.

Many localities were flooded following Friday night's rainfall. Citizens shared photos and videos of flooded streets on social media.

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao inspected affected areas on Saturday and ordered measures to prevent flooding.

Flooding at Silk Board

Silk Board Junction, once notorious for traffic jams, is now gaining notoriety for flooding. The Bengaluru South City Corporation said it would increase the capacity of a stormwater drain passing under the road from 1.5 metres to 3.5 metres to prevent flooding.