Heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms lashed Bengaluru on Saturday night, resulting in waterlogging across several low-lying areas of the city. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru recorded approximately 40 mm of rainfall over the last 24 hours.
The intense downpour brought down tree branches in various parts of the state capital. Sai Layout was among the worst-affected areas, suffering from severe inundation.
Several houses in flooded localities had their household belongings soaked, vehicles partially submerged, and electronic items damaged due to water ingress. Affected residents were forced to move to nearby safer locations.
Locals blamed clogged drains for the flooding and alleged that repeated complaints to the authorities had gone unaddressed. Other parts of the state, particularly the Malnad region and coastal Karnataka, have also been experiencing significant rainfall in recent days.
IMD issues yellow alert for several districts
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for several districts, including Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, and Shivamogga. The weather department also mentioned that light to moderate rainfall is likely in Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Mandya, Davanagere, Hassan, Kodagu, and Mysuru.
"Across the state, scattered to widespread moderate rainfall is expected in coastal districts, accompanied by thunder and lightning, with isolated heavy rainfall in some areas. In the southern interior districts, rain is likely today and tomorrow, while in the northern interior districts, rain is expected on May 19 and 20," the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre said.
In its daily bulletin issued on Sunday, the weather department forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, with speeds reaching up to 30-40 km/h, likely to occur at isolated locations within the next three hours.
The weather department warned of temporary power disruptions, minor traffic issues, and the possible uprooting of weak trees due to the weather conditions. Residents in the affected districts have been advised to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid unnecessary travel.