After weeks of prolonged heat, Bengaluru witnessed over an hour of intense squally thundershowers on Wednesday. The central business district bore the worst impact as heavy rain, hail, and strong winds disrupted normal life, exposing the city's vulnerability to extreme weather conditions.
Gusty Winds and Traffic Chaos
Winds reaching up to 50 kmph uprooted trees and broke branches across Bengaluru. Major roads were blocked, causing severe traffic congestion. Vehicles remained stranded for hours as fallen trees and debris disrupted movement in several key areas. Commuters were stranded across bus stops, metro stations, and offices as flooding worsened. Vehicles broke down, underpasses filled with water, and peak-hour traffic came to a halt in several parts of the city.
Tree Falls and Damage Reports
A total of 170 trees and 408 branches were reported fallen. Central and west zones recorded the highest damage. Civic authorities received over 500 complaints related to tree falls and storm damage. A popular bookshop on Church Street suffered heavy losses after rainwater entered the premises. Nearly 5,000 books were damaged, with shelves completely soaked within minutes of flooding.
Power Infrastructure Hit
Damage to incoming power lines led to a sharp fall in electricity consumption by nearly 300 MW. The city's power demand dropped significantly after infrastructure damage and outages following the heavy rainfall.
Rainfall and Flooding
IMD reported 78 mm rainfall in central Bengaluru zones, with heavy showers also in southern and eastern parts. The intense rain contributed to waterlogging and overflow of stormwater drains in several localities. Ashok Nagar and areas around Kanteerava Stadium witnessed thick hail cover for over 30 minutes. Streets turned into streams as drains overflowed, worsening flooding conditions in low-lying and commercial areas. MG Road, Indiranagar, Koramangala, Shivajinagar, and other key areas faced severe flooding, with water levels rising up to 2–3 feet, leaving roads impassable and disrupting daily commute across major commercial and residential hubs.
Disruption to Public Transport
Metro stations in southern Bengaluru were flooded, affecting road connectivity near Silk Board. At the railway station, a fallen tree damaged parked vehicles and caused temporary disruption in movement. Government buildings were also affected, with rainwater entering upper floors of key office buildings, affecting multiple rooms and causing temporary work disruption.
Fatalities Reported
Seven people died and nine were injured after a hospital wall collapsed during the storm. Separate incidents of electrocution and a roof collapse also claimed lives in different parts of the city amid the heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
