Bengaluru came to a near standstill on Thursday evening as fierce pre-monsoon thundershowers, accompanied by hail and gusty winds, lashed large parts of the city. The sudden downpour flooded roads, uprooted trees, disrupted Metro services, and left thousands of commuters stranded in massive traffic snarls.
Sudden Change in Weather
The bright, sunny day turned gloomy by evening as dark clouds engulfed the skyline before intense spells of rain swept across the city during peak traffic hours. Strong winds brought down trees and electricity poles in several localities, causing widespread disruption.
Orange Alert Issued by IMD
Interestingly, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Bengaluru around 6:20 PM, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds. Within minutes, intense rain lashed the central parts of the city. IMD officials reported that wind speeds touched 46 kmph in isolated areas between 6:30 PM and 7 PM. Till 8:30 PM, Bengaluru city recorded 44.2 mm of rainfall, while the HAL area received only 3.8 mm, highlighting the highly localised nature of the event.
Namma Metro Services Disrupted
The heavy rain disrupted Namma Metro services on the Purple and Green Lines after metal sheets fell onto the tracks near Hoodi and Benniganahalli. The disruption forced BMRCL to operate short-loop services, resulting in delays of nearly 20-25 minutes. “Metro trains were extremely crowded, with security personnel pushing people into the coaches to close the doors. The interchange stations at Majestic and RV Road were packed, and commuters were jostling for space. Trains stopped for 3-4 minutes at each station,” commuter Subramanya told TOI.
Road Conditions Worsen
While the rain brought down temperatures across the city, it also caused severe inconvenience on roads, with commuters, especially two-wheeler riders, navigating flyovers amid poor visibility, strong crosswinds, and waterlogging. Rain accompanied by hail was reported from several areas, including Vijayanagar, Shantinagar, Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, KR Market, Jayanagar, Rajajinagar, Vasanthnagar, Majestic, Wilson Garden, Mysore Road, Basaveshwaranagar, Malleswaram, and Cunningham Road.
Flooding in Low-Lying Areas
Several low-lying areas witnessed severe flooding, including Sankey Road, Brigade Road, SJP Road, Lalbagh Road, Sultanpet, Garudacharpalya, Varthur Kodi, and near Vibgyor School. The KR Circle underpass was barricaded after it was inundated.
Fallen Trees and Damage
Strong winds uprooted trees and electricity poles across the city. Near City Hospital on West of Chord Road, a fallen tree damaged two parked cars, while another tree collapsed on a car at Indiranagar 16th Cross. A huge tree also fell near the Shankarmutt area, disrupting traffic. However, no injuries were reported. Traffic disruptions were also reported from near Domlur on Old Airport Road after a tree fell on the road. Similar incidents occurred near Swami Vivekananda Road Metro station, Banaswadi-Horamavu underpass, Davis Road, and Machalibetta Junction near ITC Limited. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) control room reported nearly 50 incidents of fallen trees.
