Pre-monsoon showers wreak havoc in Bengaluru

DHNS

Bengaluru, 07 May 2016: The first big pre-monsoon showers that lashed the City on Friday wreaked havoc by uprooting several trees and damaging electric poles, bringing traffic to a halt and flooding roads.

 

In just one and a half hours (4 pm to 5.30 pm) the City recorded 44 mm rain. This went up to 46.6 mm by 8.30 pm, said India Meteorological Department officials. IMD has forecast rain of same intensity for the next 2 days of same intensity.

 

Power went off in several places across the city. Rail passengers at the Banaswadi railway station had a tough time finding their trains in the dark because of the power failure. Bescom officials said that at least 7 electric poles were damaged.

 

Friday’s rain also gave an insight into what the Metro stations could face in the coming monsoon. The concourse of the Baiyappanahalli station was flooded, making it difficult for passengers to enter and exit the station. 

 

The area around the ticket counters and access points to the platforms were also under ankle-deep water. Empty buckets were kept at points where the roof was leaking. The luggage scanners were down and the security guards stopped the standard checking of passengers entering the station, for some time. The metro staff were busy draining the water away with sticks to which a coarse cloth was attached.

 

The rain clubbed with high winds uprooted at least 15 trees. The winds with a speed of 58 kmph blowing from the southerly direction, brought the temperatures down.

 

After experiencing 36-37 degrees Celsius temperatures in the last 2 days, the city on Friday recorded a near normal maximum of 34.4 degree Celsius while HAL and KIA airports recorded 34.2 and 34.7 degrees Celsius respectively. This made Bengalureans heave a huge sigh of relief. 

 

Minimum temperatures were also near normal. The city recorded 22.2 degrees Celsius, HAL and KIAL recorded 21.8 and 20.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

 

Speaking to Deccan Herald, IMD Bengaluru director in-charge Geeta Agnihotri said there is wind discontinuity, trough from southwest Madhya Pradesh to extreme south peninsular India across interior Karnataka and interior Tamil Nadu with an embedded upper air cyclonic circulation over Vidarbha and adjoining Marathwada and Telangana extending up to 1.5 km above mean sea level.