Diwali Dampener: Moderate Rain Likely To Wash Out Celebrations In Bengaluru

Bengaluru is expected to witness light to moderate rainfall on Diwali evening, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). Heavy rain may occur in the city's south and east zones on Thursday evening, with showers likely continuing overnight in certain areas.

KSNDMC posted on X, "Widespread with light to moderate rains and at isolated places heavy rains associated with thunderstorm activity likely over BBMP area."

Photo Credit: PTI

The temperature in Bengaluru on Thursday is 25.31°C, with a forecasted range of 20.44°C to 26.88°C. Relative humidity stands at 69%, and wind speeds reach 69 km/h.

The Indian Meteorological Department has also predicted rain across Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Mandya, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, Bidar, Mysuru, Davanagere, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Ramanagara, Mandya, Haveri, Gadag, Dakshina Kannada, and Shivamogga in Karnataka.

Air Quality in Bengaluru

Bengaluru's Air Quality Index (AQI) remains moderate, recorded at 129.0 on Thursday. Due to restrictions imposed by the Karnataka government on bursting crackers throughout the day, the AQI is unlikely to exceed moderate levels in the tech city.

However, individuals with respiratory conditions, particularly children and those with asthma, are advised to limit extended outdoor activities, as slight smog was noted in parts of the city on Thursday evening.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has urged people to only use green crackers to prevent high pollution levels.

He said, "The Supreme Court has given guidelines on what kind of crackers should be burst. Only green crackers should be sold, and they should be burst from 8 pm to 10 pm."

Additionally, Bengaluru's traffic police have alerted commuters of potential traffic congestion on Deepavali evening, given the rain forecast for parts of the tech city.