September rain in Bengaluru inching up to the all-time record of 1986

City is just 20 mm short of the 516.6 mm rainfall recorded that year

Firemen to the rescue: Fire personnel rescue families stranded in Raja Rajeshwari apartments, off Hosur Road .

The monsoon this year is gearing up to blow away yet another record. Bengaluru's rainfall has been steadily rising and is now on its way to breaching the highest ever rainfall recorded in September since measurements began late in the 19th century.

With more than 59 mm rainfall on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon, the city has so far recorded 496.1 mm in September, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This is just 20 mm short of the all-time monthly record of 516.6 mm set in 1986.

However, with IMD predicting more rainfall over the next 48 hours, and Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) forecasting heavy rain in the northern and western parts of the city, the record is most likely going to be broken.

Unusual monsoon

This has been quite a turnaround in terms of rainfall in what could be the most tumultuous monsoon the city has witnessed. An urban drought was a real possibility even in August first week. Till then, the city had barely received 80 mm of rainfall, or a more than 65% shortfall.

The scenario started to turn on Independence Day when 129 mm was recorded in 24 hours. Since then, a steady build-up of clouds has seen near-record rainfall in August, which spilled over to a very wet September.

As reported in The Hindu , rainfall varies significantly across the immense landscape of the city. So, during September if Kengeri in Bengaluru south received a staggering 640.5mm of rainfall, Chowdeshwari ward in the north has stayed relatively dry with just 185.5mm of rain.