Bengaluru hit by heavy pre-monsoon rains; waterlogging and traffic jams grip city as more rain looms

The IMD has predicetd mroe rain, predicting a partly cloudy sky with chances of light rain or thundershowers until Friday morning.

A spell of heavy pre-monsoon rain lashed Bengaluru on Wednesday, leaving several parts of the city waterlogged and traffic snarled.

Waterlogging in Bengaluru's Madiwala due to heavy rains on Wednesday. (X/@blrcitytraffic)

Areas like Balagere, Varthur, Outer Ring Road, Ramamurthy Nagar, Madiwala, Vittal Mallya Road, Nagawara among other areas witnessed severe waterlogging, disrupting both vehicular movement and daily life.

The Bengaluru Traffic Police issued an advisory on Thursday morning, alerting commuters to avoid the stretch from Peenya Industry Bhavana towards HMT Layout due to a tree fall.

Motorists were advised to use the alternative TVS Cross Road route. Another massive tree was uprooted at Infantry Road, adding to the list of disruptions caused by the rain.

The IMD has forecast more rain for the city, predicting a partly cloudy sky with chances of light rain or thundershowers and gusty winds between 40 to 50 kmph until Friday morning. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 34°C and 21°C, respectively.

On social media platform X, Bengaluru residents expressed their frustration with the city’s chronic flooding issues. “Summer’s occasional rain flooding Bengaluru. Whom to blame? The MLA who cries for funds? BBMP who wastes funds? Or @DKShivakumar who withholds them? Or citizens who always crib?” one user questioned.

Another user lamented, “Bangalore is doomed and nothing can save this city. There’s no point raising voice to the authorities, they won’t listen.” Referring to the repeated flooding in the eastern zones, a user from Mahadevapura noted, “One rain is all it takes for parts of #Mahadevapura to convert into a sewage swamp.”