Bengaluru reels under rain havoc as flooded roads trigger traffic chaos across city

Bengaluru: Heavy rain accompanied by persistent showers lashed several parts of the city on Monday evening, throwing traffic out of gear and catching peak-hour commuters off guard.

While the sudden spell brought relief from the summer heat, it quickly turned into a civic nightmare as key roads, underpasses and junctions were flooded.

The downpour, which lasted between 45 minutes and an hour in several areas, triggered flash floods, waterlogging and multiple trees fall incidents.

Since the rain coincided with the evening rush hour, vehicular movement slowed across the city, with two-wheelers, autos and BMTC buses forced to move through flooded stretches.

Showers after brief break

After a short break, pre-monsoon showers returned to the city on Monday, with northern parts receiving particularly heavy rainfall during the evening.

Data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre’s (KSNDMC) Varunamitra dashboard showed that, as of 8.30 pm on Monday, Byatarayanapura recorded the highest rainfall at 65.5 mm, followed by Banaswadi at 61 mm.

East Manorayanapalya recorded 55 mm rainfall, while Pulakeshinagar and V Nagenahalli recorded 46 mm each. At least 30 wards in the city received more than 10 mm rainfall.

The Automatic Weather Station at GKVK recorded 40 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. During the same period, the Bengaluru district AWS recorded 23.5 mm rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department’s Bengaluru Airport observatory recorded 4.7 mm rainfall.

The maximum temperature on Monday remained close to 34 degrees Celsius, one degree above the average maximum temperature for May.

Over the next two days, the maximum temperature is expected to remain around 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to hover around 22 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said the city is likely to receive light to moderate rainfall accompanied by gusty winds on Tuesday as well. Rainfall activity is expected to reduce from Wednesday, with only a few areas likely to receive light rain. The monsoon is expected to set in during the first week of June.

Waterlogging & flooding

Major commercial and residential areas, including Shivajinagar, Malleswaram, Corporation Circle, Majestic, KR Market, Chamarajpet, Rajajinagar and Vasanth Nagar, received heavy rainfall.

The situation near Freedom Park was particularly grim as the stretch connecting Majestic to Maurya Circle was heavily inundated, making it difficult for smaller vehicles to move safely.

In Sanjaynagar, severe waterlogging was reported on the highway stretch from Tin Factory and KR Puram towards Hebbal and the Kempegowda International Airport.

The railway underpass near the back gate of Phoenix Mall of Asia, Byatarayanapura, was completely flooded, forcing police to temporarily restrict vehicular movement and divert traffic.

In the Central Business District (CBD), waterlogging was reported on Lavelle Road and at Sumanahalli Junction. Kodava Samaj Road in Vasanth Nagar also remained flooded, disrupting traffic movement.

Tree fall incidents worsen gridlock

A tree fell near Kodigehalli towards Phoenix Mall of Asia, worsening traffic congestion on the airport highway. Tree branches also fell in Indiranagar, Ulsoor and nearby areas.

Traffic came to a standstill near the Cantonment railway station after a tree collapsed across the road, blocking key lanes near Cantonment Circle and causing a massive pileup during peak return hours.

Slow-moving traffic across key corridors

Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) reported slow-moving traffic near the Manyata Tech Park entrance towards the Ring Road due to heavy waterlogging.

Traffic snarls were also reported at Nagawara Junction after a BMTC bus got stuck in the mud. Congestion was also reported from Dommasandra towards Muthanalluru Cross and near Kodathi Gate.

Bottlenecks were reported at Cauvery Junction towards Palace Cross, the Udaya TV underpass towards Jayamahal Road and from GRT Junction towards Hosakote.

Outer areas, including Kalyan Nagar towards Uttam Sagar Junction, Hennur Cross towards Vaddarapalya and the road from Crystal Palace to Nandagokula, were also heavily flooded.

Kogilu Layout residents stranded

In Kogilu Layout, displaced residents living in tarpaulin tents were left with little shelter.

“People are living in makeshift homes already, and the rains cause havoc. This time, there was massive flooding. The situation will only get worse once the monsoon fully arrives,” said state president of Slum Janara Sangatane- Karnataka, Issac Amrutha Raj.

Flights impacted

Rain on Monday disrupted flight operations at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), prompting airlines to issue travel advisories to passengers.

In a statement, IndiGo said adverse weather conditions had affected flight schedules and urged passengers to check their flight status on the airline’s website and app. The airline added that its teams were assisting passengers affected by delays and disruptions.

Meanwhile, Air India Express flight IX2718 from Pune to Bengaluru was diverted to Chennai before later proceeding to Bengaluru.

Commuters struggle to get rides home

Anusha R, an employee at an IT company in Whitefield, said: “I travel by metro but to get to the metro I usually book an auto. It had been raining from around 5.30 pm and the prices shot up.”

Many commuters struggled to find autos and cabs as fares surged during the rain.

“I had to pay Rs 1,000 to get home from MG Road to Bannerghatta Road by cab. This is at least Rs 500 more than what I usually pay. Rides get very expensive whenever it rains in Bengaluru,” said IT professional Akanksha Rao.

Autos operating near the metro and railway stations were charging anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500.