Karnataka, Bengaluru break rainfall records

BENGALURU: With the continuous downpour, Bengaluru as well as the rest of the state are beating all rain records. With more rain forecast till the weekend ahead, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange and yellow alert for most parts of Karnataka.

According to IMD records, the state has received 87 per cent excess rainfall from November 3-10. This means, it has received 24.7mm rainfall against the normal of 13.2mm. Also, the state has recorded 51 per cent excess seasonal rainfall (October- November). Against the normal of 150.4 mm, the state has received 227 mm of rainfall.

Similarly, from November 3-10, Bengaluru has 34.9mm of rainfall against the normal of 17.7 mm, recording a 97 per cent excess. The city has also recorded a 100 per cent excess rainfall in the seasonal total at 349.1 mm, against the normal of 175 mm, the city has recorded rainfall. Until 5.30 pm on Thursday, Bengaluru city recorded 14.2mm rainfall and HAL airport recorded 21.4 mm rainfall. 

Geeta Agnihotri, IMD-Bengaluru director in-charge, said the city and most parts of Karnataka are experiencing heavy to very rainfall because of a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal, off the north Tamil Nadu coast, which is now moving west-north-westwards and will cross north Tamil Nadu. 

There is also a low pressure area over east-central Arabian sea off the Maharashtra coast. An associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 5.8 km above mean sea level. It is likely to move west-southwestwards away from the west coast of India and become more marked during the next 48 hours.

A trough also runs from the cyclonic circulation associated with the above low pressure area over east central Arabian sea to south Madhya Pradesh across north Maharashtra extending up to 0.9 km above mean sea level. Under the influence of all these systems, a yellow alert has been issued for most parts of coastal, north- and south-interior Karnataka for the next two days. Rainfall will continue, but the intensity will reduce, she said.

The weatherman said the worry is increasing as the rainfall has been continuous in most parts of the state since Wednesday evening. There has also been no break in monsoon-like conditions for many days. The number of dry and sunny days has also been less this time.