Hailstones, steady downpour provide welcome break from soaring temperature

Rain throws life out of gear as flooding, tree-falls are reported in many parts of Bengaluru

Darkness descended by Sunday afternoon and then began a long downpour accompanied by thunderstorms and hailstones, bringing both joy and misery to the city. As social media was flooded with joyful posts about Bengaluru’s forgiving weather after a spate of rather hot days, the rain threw life out of gear, as it has come to.

Though the rainfall recorded was moderate, in the range of 31 to 64 mm, most of it during a short window created a huge impact. Not just two-wheelers, even four-wheelers were seen stopping by as the visibility on the road was very low. “It was dark — like 7 p.m. at 4 p.m. — and the rain was so heavy that the visibility on the road became very poor. I stopped by till the rain reduced and visibility improved,” said Chennabasappa, a commuter on Ballari Road.

A tree fell on a BMTC bus on K.G. Road in Upparpet traffic police station limits. No injuries were reported. Traffic was diverted on the road for some time.

Apart from bus stops, large numbers of people — either passengers or passersby — were stuck at several metro stations across the city as they waited for the rain to subside. The heavy downpour also saw water entering Namma Metro trains — an unusual sight in the usually meticulously maintained trains. Events at Khelo India were also disrupted.

Many key roads across the city were inundated with ankle-deep water, posing a serious challenge for commuters to navigate. BVK Iyengar Road, Seshadri Road near Freedom Park, Okalipuram, Kanakapura Road, Jayamahal Road, and several roads in Koramangala were also flooded. Surprisingly, there was flooding even on the Sirsi Circle flyover. Several underpasses, including one at Kodigehalli, had knee-length water.

“There was flooding on most roads and riding a bike was such a risky scenario on Sunday. Many vehicles were seen breaking down on the road,” said Shankar Prasad, a commuter who was caught in the rain. Complaints of water gushing into homes were recorded in some pockets of Kaval Byrasandra and Uttarahalli.

Over 20 tree-falls were recorded in the city, seven including a coconut tree in BTM Layout alone. More tree-falls were reported from Kengeri, Whitefield, Arakere, Koramangala, and Srirampuram, BBMP officials said.