Heavy rain and thunderstorm activity is set to continue across large parts of Karnataka, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing yellow alert for 22 districts, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu and coastal regions.
The weather department has warned of gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kmph along with rain and thunderstorms in several districts over the next 24 hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said heavy rain and thundershowers with gusty winds are likely at one or two places in Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Mysuru and Kodagu districts. These districts are currently under a yellow alert due to the possibility of intense rain and thunderstorms.
The IMD also forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms with winds of 40 to 50 kmph in 18 other districts including Shivamogga, Ballari, Chitradurga, Vijayapura, Chamarajanagar, Davanagere, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Koppal, Haveri, Gadag, Belagavi, Raichur, Yadgir, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Bidar and Vijayanagara.
The ongoing rain and thunderstorm activity across Karnataka is being triggered by a trough and wind discontinuity extending from the Comorin area to southwest Madhya Pradesh through Interior Karnataka, along with an upper air cyclonic circulation over the south Andaman Sea. The weather department said these systems are helping intensify pre-monsoon thunderstorm activity across several interior and coastal districts of the state over the next few days.
For Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Tumakuru and Mandya districts, the IMD has predicted light rain at isolated places over the next 24 hours. While no major warning has been issued for Bengaluru city, officials said temporary traffic snarls and localised power disruptions remain possible during thunderstorm activity.
On May 9, according to the IMD forecast, thunderstorm activity with gusty winds is expected to continue across different parts of Karnataka till May 12. Coastal Karnataka districts including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are likely to receive moderate rain and thundershowers, while parts of North Interior Karnataka may continue seeing scattered rainfall and gusty winds over the next few days.
The weather department has advised residents to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid sheltering under trees and unplug electrical appliances during lightning activity. Motorists have also been asked to drive carefully as sudden rain and gusty winds may affect visibility and road movement.
The IMD said heavy rainfall warning remains in place for parts of South Interior Karnataka on May 8 and May 9, though there is currently no extremely heavy rainfall warning for the state. No fishermen warning or hailstorm warning has been issued at present.
Rainfall was already recorded in several districts on Friday morning. Udupi and Jalahalli in Raichur recorded 6 cm rain each, while Shorapur in Yadgir received 4 cm rainfall. Tiptur in Tumakuru recorded 3 cm rain, according to the IMD observation bulletin.
The weather system is currently being influenced by a trough and wind discontinuity stretching from the Comorin region to southwest Madhya Pradesh, along with an upper air cyclonic circulation over the south Andaman Sea, the IMD said.
Bengaluru Weather: IMD Issues Orange Alert
The weather forecast for Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural over the next five days shows partly cloudy skies are likely to continue across the city. Light rain may occur at one or two places towards evening or night on May 8, while light rain and thundershowers are again likely around May 12. Maximum temperatures are expected to rise gradually from 33 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures may remain between 23 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius.
According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) forecast map for Bengaluru valid till the morning of May 9, most parts of the city are expected to receive very light to light rainfall, with isolated pockets in Bengaluru East, Mahadevapura, RR Nagar and western parts of the city likely to witness slightly higher rain activity. Areas across Bengaluru North, Central and South are largely marked under very light rainfall zones, indicating scattered evening or night showers rather than widespread heavy rain.
Bengaluru is likely to witness partly cloudy skies with light rain at one or two places towards evening or night. While no major citywide rain warning has been issued for Bengaluru, officials cautioned that isolated thunderstorm activity could still trigger temporary traffic congestion and localised disruptions during peak evening hours.
The met department also issued a thunderstorm warning for both North Interior Karnataka and South Interior Karnataka. Thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kmph are likely at isolated places across North Interior Karnataka from May 8 to May 11, while similar wind speeds are expected over South Interior Karnataka on May 8 and May 9. From May 10 to May 12, thunderstorm activity with slightly lower wind speeds of 30 to 40 kmph is expected to continue over South Interior Karnataka.
Madhuri Adnal Oneindia