Pre-summer rains cool a hot Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Pre-summer rains and thundershowers since Monday cooled the Karnataka capital, reeling under soaring temperatures, said a met official on Wednesday.

“The forecast for this week is a few spells of more rain or thundershowers with lightening under a partly cloudy sky due to upper air cyclonic circulation,” Indian Meteorological Department Director Sundar Metri said.

Amid dry weather in mid-spring, a record 37mm rainfall on Tuesday night restored the salubrious climate the city is popularly known for.

“Rising temperature is one of the reasons for unseasonal rains. If day temperature rises above 34 degree Celsius, more rain likely in the next four days,” said Metri.

Tuesday’s sudden downpour disrupted normal life across the city, as squally winds uprooted many trees and damaged electric poles, resulting in power cuts in several localities and rain water inundating low-lying areas.

“About 20 trees were uprooted and a state-run bus was half submerged at an underpass in the city centre under rain water,” said a civic official.

The hour-long rain also caused traffic snarls, as many roads were flooded with water overflowing from clogged drainage system.