Bengaluru: The lush green turf at Kanteerava Stadium, typically used for football, turned snow-white for a few minutes on Wednesday evening—a striking image, not AI-generated, showcasing the intensity of the hailstorm.
While many Bengalureans shared images and videos of hailstones on social media, the common question was: Why is Bengaluru experiencing a hailstorm? Officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Bengaluru explained that hailstorms are triggered by intense surface heating and unstable atmospheric conditions, typically confined to peak summer months (March-April and early May).
Meteorological Explanation
During summer, the land heats up rapidly, trapping heat. Moisture-laden humid air lingers near the surface, and this warm, humid air rises, forming cumulonimbus clouds (dark clouds). As these towering clouds develop, moisture freezes into ice pellets at extremely cold higher altitudes. When they become too heavy, hailstorms occur.
According to meteorologists, these conditions are common in Karnataka during this period due to wind discontinuities or troughs extending across peninsular India. Moisture from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal infuses over the region, leading to intense rain, lightning, strong gusty winds, and hailstorms.
Duration and Localized Nature
Agrimeteorologists from GKVK noted that hailstorms are typically brief and localized, often lasting less than half an hour—as witnessed in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Tragic Electrocution Incidents
Two electrocution deaths were reported amid the rain. Syed Sufian, a 17-year-old from Tannery Road, suffered a fatal shock in Shivajinagar after stepping on a live wire submerged in a puddle. His uncle Aslam said Sufian had come on his two-wheeler for shopping and was searching for a fuel station.
Raghu, a 30-year-old cobbler from Bannerghatta Road, died of electrocution around 6:45pm near Jedi Mara Junction (Brahmashri Narayanaguru Circle). Bescom officials said Raghu stepped into a ditch while answering nature's call, lost his balance, and grabbed a wire linked to a bus shelter. The wire's coating had thinned, causing electrocution.
