Karnataka Weather Alert: Is Bengaluru’s Dry Spell Likely To Continue?

Karnataka has been facing heavy rainfall since Sunday night, with over six districts, including Dharwad, suffering significant impacts. Tragically, three individuals, including two students, lost their lives after being swept away while attempting to cross an overflowing ditch.

The relentless downpour has resulted in extensive disruption across various regions, particularly in Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Gadag, Bagalkote, and Chikkamagaluru. In Dakshina Kannada's Uppinangadi and Dharmasthala areas, strong winds accompanying the heavy rains have uprooted trees and electric poles, damaging numerous homes. Some locations have even experienced hailstorms, compounding the challenges faced by residents.

While Chikkamagaluru recorded moderate rainfall, Sringeri taluk witnessed significant downpours accompanied by thundershowers.

On Sunday night, two students and a farmer tragically drowned while trying to navigate overflowing water bodies. In Gadag district's Nargund taluk, Manikanth Mallapura (26) and Shivappa Avaradhi (25) were swept away along with their motorcycle while crossing a ditch between Hunsikatti and Nargund. Their bodies were recovered the following day.

In Bagalkote, Mallappa Sivappa Basavanala (38), a farmer from Amblikoppa village in Hunagunda taluk, was also washed away while crossing a bridge over a swollen stream. He was returning home from his farm in Mooganur village when the strong current took him away.

In a separate incident in Raichur district, lightning struck a sheep in Hanchinala village of Lingasuguru taluk on Monday. Durugappa (35), a resident of the village, had taken his sheep to graze when one was struck by lightning and died instantly.

Bengaluru Weather Alert:

According to Vijay, a weather enthusiast from the popular blog 'Namma Karnataka Weather', the Northeast Monsoon (NEM) season has officially kicked off, but Bengaluru residents should brace themselves for another warm, sunny, and dry day ahead. Weather patterns indicate that while the NEM season is here, conditions are not yet optimal for significant rainfall in the city.

Currently, a Upper Air Cyclone (UAC) near Male has created a convergence zone to the west, affecting the Malnad region and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, this setup does not bode well for Bengaluru, as the city is likely to experience limited precipitation in the coming days.

Forecasts suggest that by tomorrow evening, the UAC will shift further west into the Arabian Sea. This movement may pave the way for the seasonal convergence to establish itself across the Southern Interior Karnataka (SIK) areas, which could lead to improved weather conditions in the region.

However, the current alignment of wind speed, relative humidity (RH), and dew point-air temperature does not favor the development of significant rainfall at this time. As a result, residents can expect continued dry weather conditions despite the arrival of the monsoon season.

What Happened to Bengaluru's Typically Wet September?

Historically, September has been recognised as the wettest month in Bengaluru, with an average rainfall of approximately 208.3 mm. Notably, the city recorded an astonishing 516.6 mm of rain in September 1986.

It must be noted that Bengaluru has broken previous weather records by recording just 23.9 mm of rainfall this September, marking it as the second driest month in the city's history and the fifth driest since rainfall records were first kept in the late 1800s, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as reported by the Deccan Herald.