Thundershowers lash Bengaluru: Homes flooded; trees fall, power outages in many areas

Bengaluru: At least 30 homes in southern Bengaluru's Ramakrishna Nagar were flooded following an intense bout of thundershowers on Saturday night, according to the BBMP. 

The flooding occurred due to ongoing stormwater drain works in Ward 184, Uttarahalli, said K Subrahmanya, supervisor at the BBMP control room. 

He added that the chief engineer had rushed to the spot to manage the flood situation. Parts of Sultanpalya towards JC Nagar were also affected. 

The India Meteorological Department's Bengaluru city observatory recorded 26.4 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 11.30 pm. The HAL airport observatory, representing the city's eastern and southeastern areas, recorded 46.3 mm of rainfall during the same period, an official said. 

The thundershowers caused waterlogging and traffic congestion on major roads. At least eight trees were uprooted by the intense rain, with two in Jayanagar, four in Bommanahalli and two in the East zone. 

Additionally, tree branches were damaged in various parts of the city, including Jakkur. In Nandini Layout, a tree branch reportedly fell on a house but no casualties were recorded. 

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) received 12,369 calls between 2 pm and 9 pm on Saturday from across the city, resulting in 8,615 complaints. 

At least nine electricity poles were broken due to heavy rains in areas including Jigani and Kudur, leading to major power disruptions. A Bescom source reported three feeder trips in HSR Layout and minor power interruptions in areas such as Sahakaranagar, Jayanagar, and Hebbal. 

Pre-monsoon showers

An IMD official noted that these were pre-monsoon showers while the southwest monsoon was expected to arrive in Bengaluru and other parts of South Interior Karnataka on Sunday or later. 

Traffic disruption

The downpour wreaked havoc on the roads, with slow-moving traffic and severe congestion being reported across the city. 

Waterlogging affected vehicular movement as early as 3 pm near the eastern and northeastern parts of the city such as Gunjur, Veerasandra Signal, Varthur, Hoodi, Panathur Railway underbridge and the Outer Ring Road, especially at Veerannapalya and Marathahalli. 

Binny Mill Junction in the heart of the city also saw waterlogging, while a tree fall on Nagavara Main Road and a branch falling at Veerannapalya disrupted traffic flow. 

Possibly one of the worst-affected roads was the Hebbal-Airport road near Kempapura and Kodigehalli Signal, causing traffic to move slowly for at least over an hour. The Hebbal up-ramp towards the city was choked with traffic around 4.30 pm and vehicle breakdowns added to the chaos. 

Traffic moving towards Hebbal Circle from BEL Circle was also affected due to shin-level water at some points. 

In the south, parts of Bannerghatta Road, Hosur Road were inundated due to the rain. 

By 6 pm, heavy traffic congestion was reported at Veerasandra Junction, Hunasamaranahalli, Rainbow Junction, Queens Road and Windsor Manor Junction. Traffic on Tumakuru Road in both directions was also hit due to the rains. 

Traffic from GD Mara towards Dalmia Junction was also diverted due to a tree branch falling on the road. Vehicles were rerouted to go towards Shilpa Junction and move towards JP Nagar.