Bengaluru residents are bracing for another day of rain as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts continued showers in the Karnataka capital. The city experienced heavy rainfall yesterday, prompting the District Collector to declare a holiday for schools and Anganwadis as a precautionary measure. While no such announcement has been made for today, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is working to clear stagnant water in various parts of the city.
According to the IMD, Bengaluru can expect a cloudy sky with light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms today, both in urban and rural areas. The maximum temperature is forecast to be 29 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will be 21 degrees Celsius. The weather department anticipates these light to moderate rains to persist in Bengaluru until October 25.
While Bengaluru faces moderate rainfall warnings, other districts in Karnataka are bracing for heavier downpours. The IMD has predicted isolated heavy rain in Udupi, Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Chikballapura, and Kolar districts. Moderate rain accompanied by thundershowers is expected in most other areas of South Interior Karnataka.
Meanwhile, the IMD forecast for the rest of Karnataka predicts light to moderate rain in Coastal Karnataka and a few places in North Interior Karnataka.
The heavy rain and thunderstorms that swept through Bengaluru on Monday night also caused delays for over 20 flights at the city’s airport. Several flights, including an Air India flight from Delhi and four Indigo flights, were diverted to Chennai.
Adding to the weather concerns, the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which intensified on Monday, is expected to develop into a severe cyclonic storm by October 23. This storm, named Cyclone Dana, is projected to reach the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal the following day, bringing heavy rainfall to the two states for three days, until Friday.
The IMD has issued a red warning, urging action, for heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm) and thunderstorms with lightning in Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha on October 24.
In West Bengal, the Met Office predicts heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Purba and Paschim Medinipur, and North and South 24 Parganas on October 23.