Sustained showers take B’luru past annual normal rainfall

Bengaluru: The torrential rains that have been lashing Bengaluru over the past two days have not only made up for the city’s rainfall deficit for the current season but have also pushed it beyond the average annual precipitation.

From October 1 to November 7 (up to 8:30 pm), Bengaluru recorded 197.2 mm of rainfall, surpassing the normal average of 175 mm. Remarkably, more than half of this amount (97.2 mm) fell within just two days (Monday and Tuesday) as the northeast monsoon strengthened its grip on the city.

On Monday alone, Bengaluru was drenched with 71.2 mm of rain, followed by another 27.2 mm on Tuesday (up to 8:30 pm).

The deluge on Tuesday also propelled the city’s annual rainfall total past the significant milestone of 100 cm, exceeding the ‘normal’ annual threshold of 98 cm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

With a cumulative rainfall reaching 101.7 cm this year, as opposed to the usual 98 cm, the city has effectively crossed a significant climatological benchmark.

The rainy spell is likely to continue with the IMD issuing a yellow alert (meaning heavy rainfall) for five districts in the South Interior Karnataka (Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Mysuru and Mandya), an official said.

“Heavy rainfall is expected in many areas across South Interior Karnataka until November 9,” the official further mentioned.

Additionally, a thunderstorm warning is in place for certain regions within the state, the official reported.

This current spell of rain in Bengaluru and neighbouring parts of South Interior Karnataka occurs against the backdrop of an underperforming southwest monsoon, which typically constitutes the city’s primary rainy season spanning June to September.

This year, the southwest monsoon fell short, resulting in Bengaluru experiencing its driest August on record. The city registered a meagre 12.6 mm of rainfall in August, shattering the previous record-low of 20.6 mm set in 1885.

A Prasad, the head of the IMD’s meteorological centre in Bengaluru, attributed the heavy rainfall in Bengaluru to a trough (a low area between two waves in the sea) that’s bringing showers to Andhra Pradesh, South Interior Karnataka and Kerala. 

Hebbal bus stop submerged and a restaurant at Sahakarnagar swamped due to torrential downpour in Bengaluru on Tuesday.