Bengaluru has officially recorded its wettest May in history, surpassing all previous records and marking yet another extreme weather milestone for the city. According to a report in Deccan Herald, the city received a staggering 307.9 mm (30.7 cm) of rainfall by 6 am on May 26, smashing the previous record of 305.4 mm set in May 2023.
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This feat not only breaks last year’s record but also pushes further back a long-standing benchmark of 28 cm set way back in May 1957, which remained unbeaten for more than six decades until 2023. With still a few days left in the month, the total rainfall may rise even further, adding to an already exceptional pre-monsoon season.
How previous years recorded rain in May?
What makes this even more remarkable is how frequently these rainfall peaks are being reset. Of the top five wettest Mays in recorded history for Bengaluru, all except one have occurred in the last ten years. After May 2025 and May 2023, other standout months include May 2022 (270.4 mm), May 2017 (241.9 mm), and May 2018 (239.8 mm). This trend signals a broader shift in weather patterns during the pre-monsoon months, with Bengaluru seeing increasingly intense and frequent rainfall events.
To put this in perspective, the normal average rainfall for May, based on the IMD’s climatological data from 1991 to 2020, is just 128.7 mm. This means Bengaluru has received more than double the typical rainfall expected in May — a stark indicator of changing weather behaviour in the region.
{{/usCountry}}To put this in perspective, the normal average rainfall for May, based on the IMD’s climatological data from 1991 to 2020, is just 128.7 mm. This means Bengaluru has received more than double the typical rainfall expected in May — a stark indicator of changing weather behaviour in the region.
{{/usCountry}}The pre-monsoon season, spanning from March 1 to May 26, has been extraordinarily wet across Karnataka. Bengaluru Urban district alone recorded 340.6 mm of rainfall so far this season — a departure of 155 mm from the norm. Across the state, the trend is similar: Karnataka’s average cumulative rainfall for this period stands at 232.8 mm, significantly above the normal of 96.7 mm.
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Breaking this down regionally, South Interior Karnataka, which includes Bengaluru, has received 249.1 mm of rain, nearly double the expected 124.1 mm. North Interior Karnataka has logged 201.8 mm, also nearly three times its normal quota of 67.5 mm.
This unseasonal and intense downpour has caused waterlogging, infrastructure strain, and traffic disruptions in Bengaluru, while also replenishing reservoirs and raising groundwater levels — offering a temporary relief from water scarcity in parts of the city.