Pre-monsoon rain cools Bengaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, April 26, 2016, DHNS: After experiencing 39.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the first pre-monsoon shower of the season on Monday gave Bengaluru the much-needed respite.

The city recorded 20.3 mm of widespread rain till 8.30 pm, and traffic jams and flooding were also reported from some parts of the central business district, mainly the Majestic area.

It was a pleasant evening in Bengaluru as the maximum temperature dipped to 37.1 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was 24.8 degrees Celsius.

IMD Bengaluru director in-charge Geeta Agnihotri told DH that it was the first pre-monsoon shower of the season. Pre-monsoon  showers are usually scanty and occur periodically till June, till the onset of monsoon.

From March 1 till April 25, the city received 25mm rainfall, which is 22 mm below normal.

Geeta said that Sunday’s record temperature was the highest in the last 148 years. The IMD had on Sunday said that 39.2 degrees Celsius was the highest in the last 85 years.

“There was good moisture at the lower level on Monday and there was instability in the atmosphere. These factors will not continue for next 48 hours, so rainfall is not forecast for next 48 hours. But this will help temperatures dip. These rains are not because of any system formation over the Arabian Sea or the Indian ocean,” said Geeta.

Former IMD director B Puttanna said in 1931, when the temperature had shot up to 38.3 degrees Celsius, it had rained later. This rise in temperature depends upon the location, cloud coverage and wind factors.

If the winds are blowing from land surface then they are hotter, which leads to rise in temperatures and precipitation. These factors helped lead to high temperatures in Bengaluru and other parts of south-interior Karnataka, this year and in the past also, Puttanna added.

Prof Govindswamy Bala, of Divecha Centre for Climate Change, said that due to the El Nino effect, there is rise in temperatures since February. It is also because of weather variability which has happened in the past leading to record temperatures, he added.

Meanwhile, the BBMP control room received complaints of tree uprooting from Kammanahalli Main Road, Azad Nagar, Valmiki Nagar, Okalipuram, Freedom Park, SR Nagar, Ramchandrapura, BMK Layout and Valmikinagar. Also, two trees were uprooted near Ayesha School at Gandhinagar.

Power disruption

Due to the rain 2 power feeder lines tripped, causing power disruptions in Kumara Park West, K P Agrahara, Whitefield, Venkateshpura, Lingarajapura, Nagavara and Govindapura.