Bengaluru: A spell of heavy evening rain brought parts of Bengaluru to a standstill Wednesday, flooding roads, choking traffic and leaving motorists battling waterlogged stretches across several parts of the city.The downpour, accompanied by strong winds, brought down trees at multiple locations, further disrupting evening peak-hour traffic. India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said the city received 1.6mm of rainfall until 8.30pm. “However, rain was intense in eastern parts of the city — over 18mm,” an official said. According to KSNDMC, however, Bengaluru received an average of 10mm rainfall.The city was overcast since morning, but rain intensified towards evening, quickly turning several arterial roads, underpasses and low-lying stretches into waterlogged corridors. Peenya flyover, Hebbal Ring Road and several underpasses were among the worst affected. Water accumulated near Hebbal Ring Road, triggering long queues of vehicles.Commuters reported waterlogging near Hoodi Metro station. Varun Rao, a commuter, posted on X that there were hardly any drains between the Metro station and Hoodi circle, resulting in rainwater flowing directly onto the main road. He said pedestrians were forced to wade through ankle- to knee-deep water.Vidyashilp railway underpass in Yelahanka, Rashtrothana flyover, Choudappa Layout and Thanisandra Road were inundated, throwing traffic out of gear. A large tree was uprooted near Vijnana Nagar, bringing traffic towards Kaggadasapura to a halt. Another tree reportedly fell near Vidhya Soudha School, adding to the evening chaos. Water stagnated along the stretch from Rainbow Hospital towards Karthik Nagar, between Yelahanka BSF and Airport Road, and from Mahadevapura towards Lorry Junction, making commuting difficult.Similar scenes were reported on Vibgyor Road in Whitefield, where waterlogging left vehicles stranded and some motorists struggling to negotiate the flooded stretch. Sahakara Nagar too witnessed significant water accumulation, with clogged drains leaving roads inundated. Traffic moved slowly through several neighbourhoods, while minor jams were reported at multiple locations.
