After the hot spell over the last few weeks, the city witnessed the season’s first heavy showers Friday evening bringing relief to Bangaloreans.
Officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the showers signalled the arrival of monsoon, and added that it could hit the city in a couple of days.
Ramesh Babu, Director, Met Department, said: “There are small patches of depression in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Rain has just hit the coast of Karnataka. The system has revived and needs to intensify. Currently there is no moisture content over the sea. Coastal Karnataka has recorded only 13 to 14 cm rainfall, while it should have recorded at least 25 to 30 cm at this time of the year.”
Friday’s rain led to flooded roads, which in turn affected evening traffic across the city. Motorists were stranded for a while near Hosmat Hospital and Baldwin Girls School due to water-logging.
Although the BBMP control rooms did not receive any major complaints of rain damage, incidents of tree fall were reported at Kumble Circle and Nandidurg Road, and J.P. Nagar, 5th Cross, 1st Phase. There were no reports of casualties or property damage.
The city is likely to witness cloudy sky with rain/thunder showers in some areas on Saturday. A maximum temperature of 31.2 degrees Celsius and minimum of 24.1 degrees Celsius was recorded on Friday. The city recorded rainfall of 6.2 mm at 11.30 p.m. and the relative humidity was 46 per cent. At the airport, the rainfall was recorded at 31.3 mm.
