Bengaluru rains brought relief from heat but caused severe flooding, traffic chaos, and damage across the city. Over 170 trees fell, roads were waterlogged, and a Yellow Alert has been issued for more rain ahead.
Bengaluru: After weeks of sizzling summer heat, Bengaluru finally got some relief on Wednesday evening. But the relief came with a price. A massive thunderstorm, complete with hail and strong winds, lashed the city, causing widespread chaos.
The city had been reeling under a heatwave for days. On Wednesday afternoon, the sky turned cloudy, bringing a cool breeze. But between 5:05 PM and 6:35 PM, a heavy downpour turned roads into rivers. Commuters in cars and autos were stranded, unable to move forward or even step out of their vehicles.
Cottonpete and surrounding areas hit hardest
The central part of the city, around Cottonpete, received the heaviest rainfall. According to the weather department, Subhash Nagar, Binnypete, Kempapura, and Cottonpete each recorded a massive 77.5 mm of rain. Nearby areas like K.R. Market, Azad Nagar, Chamarajpet, Hanumanthanagar, Jagjivanram Nagar, Rayapuram, and Chalavadi Palya got 77 mm.
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Other parts of the city also saw significant rain:
- S.K. Garden, HSR Layout, and Bommanahalli: 62.5 mm
- Guttahalli: 54 mm
- Gurappanapalya and BTM Layout: 47 mm
- Adugodi: 39.5 mm
- Jayamahal: 39 mm
- Gayathri Nagar, Prakash Nagar, Sri Rama Mandira: 37.5 mm
- Marathahalli, Pattabhi Ramanagar: 31.5 mm
- HAL Airport: 29.5 mm
- Kottige Palya: 27.5 mm
- Ganesha Mandira, Vidyapeetha, Kattariguppe: 24 mm
- Nagapura, Subramanya Nagar: 23.5 mm
- Koramangala: 22 mm
- Lakshmidevi Nagar, Laggere: 19.5 mm
- Agara: 17.5 mm
- Vijinapura, C.V. Raman Nagar: 16 mm
Victoria Hospital flooded, over 170 trees fall
The rain caused havoc across the city. Victoria Hospital's jail ward was flooded, leaving patients in a terrible situation. On Lavelle Road, a portion of the road caved in, trapping a car. A compound wall collapsed on Binny Mill Road, completely blocking traffic and stranding commuters.
The damage was immense. More than 170 trees were completely uprooted, and over 408 large branches broke off. As a result, over 50 vehicles were damaged, and several walls were destroyed.
3 more days of rain, Yellow Alert issued
Senior meteorologist C.S. Patil said that the city can expect light to moderate rain in some parts until Saturday. "There will be scattered thunderstorms with winds blowing at 30 to 40 km/h. A Yellow Alert is in place for the city for the next three days," he confirmed.
Emergency lines jammed, control rooms overwhelmed
Many apartment basements were flooded, trapping cars and two-wheelers. Panicked residents flooded the control rooms of the police, city corporation (BBMP), and fire department with calls for help.
Major roads in the heart of the city—like Majestic, K.G. Road, Palace Road, Avenue Road, and areas around Vidhana Soudha, K.R. Circle, and Richmond Road—were completely waterlogged. The railway underpass at Seshadripuram was also flooded, bringing traffic to a standstill. Even emergency vehicles were stuck for about 30 minutes. The sheer volume of calls caused the emergency number 112 to crash, leaving people helpless.
Tragedy strikes street vendors
A collapsing under-construction wall at Bowring Hospital turned into a tragedy. Mahamad Abdul Haq, a resident of Munireddypalya in J.C. Nagar, was a cloth vendor near the wall. His evening sales turned out to be his last. His family was heartbroken upon hearing the news.
Fayaz Ahmed, son of Sheikh Mehmood from D.J. Halli's Byrasandra, sold slippers at the same spot. The wall came crashing down just as he was packing up his goods. Another victim was 6-year-old Mussavir, daughter of Chand Pasha from K.G. Halli. The little girl was on her way home from school and had stopped to take shelter from the rain under a tarpaulin when the wall fell.
Even CM's residence not spared
The strong winds also brought down trees on the roads near the Chief Minister's and the Chief Secretary's residences, disrupting traffic there as well. Civic, police, and fire department staff had a tough time clearing the fallen trees.
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