Bengaluru: After days of simmering under near-summer temperatures hovering between 31°C and 32°C during what should be one of the wettest months of the monsoon season, Bengaluru finally got a much-needed weather break Tuesday evening. Powerful thunderstorms, accompanied by strong, gusty winds and heavy showers, swept across several parts of the city, bringing relief from the prolonged dry spell.But the respite quickly turned into chaos on the roads, with widespread waterlogging slowing traffic during the evening peak hours.Several key stretches were flooded, including areas near Chickpet Metro station, New Tharagupet, Jayamahal Road near Cantonment Railway Station, Hebbal, Nagawara–Veerannapalya, Mehkri Circle, Indiranagar, Wilson Garden, Ayyappa underpass in Madiwala, NGO Gate towards Passport Office Junction, Peenya Flyover towards the city, and Rupena Agrahara.Bengaluru Traffic Police issued advisories urging motorists to exercise caution while navigating the affected stretches. Rain lashed the central business district, Indiranagar, Sanjaynagar, Hebbal, Rajajinagar, and HSR Layout, with residents flooding social media with videos and photographs of the dramatic skies, strong winds and waterlogged roads.The weather turnaround came after Bengaluru recorded a maximum temperature of 32.1°C, leaving residents sweltering under unusually warm conditions. The sudden thunderstorm caught scores of commuters off guard, with reduced visibility and water accumulation bringing traffic to a crawl at several locations.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientists, winds of around 30-40kmph accompanied the thunderstorms. Moisture flowing in from the Bay of Bengal, combined with favourable atmospheric conditions, triggered the showers as thunderclouds moved from the eastern parts of the region towards the west.The relief may not be short-lived. Officials said Bengaluru is likely to receive more rainfall over the next two days, offering hope of a longer break from the recent dry spell. As per Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, some of the areas that received the highest rainfall until 7.30pm Tuesday were Koramangala (70mm), New BEL Road (47mm), RT Nagar (46mm), Jayanagar (35mm), and HSR Layout (31mm).Bengaluru South City Corporation received complaints of fallen branches at six locations following the downpour. In Central corporation limits, residents reported fallen trees in Chickpet, KH Double Road, and Indiranagar, while Vivek Nagar and Ganganagar saw damage in North city corporation. A tree at RMV II Stage was also reported to be in danger of falling, officials said. A compound wall collapsed in Nanjamba Agrahara in Chamarajpet division, but no injuries were reported.
