Bengaluru needs 33mm rain to break record

BENGALURU: Battered by heavy rain, Bengaluru is just a few steps away from breaking its own record set six decades ago. This could become the wettest May in the city’s history, with only 33mm rainfall required to surpass the 1959 record.
According to scientists at India Meteorological Department, Bengaluru, the city had witnessed a record rainfall of 287. 1mm in May 1959. “We have already received 254. 1mm of rain till May 18 and require another 33mm to break the 63-year-old record,” said a scientist. What is even more interesting is that the city received 45% of May’s rainfall on a single day (May 17) even though it left a trail of destruction.

Explaining further, the scientist said, “Even if the city receives an average of about 3mm rainfall for the next 10 days, this May will go down in history as the wettest in Bengaluru. However, citing climate change, IMD officials cautioned that this phenomenon (very heavy single-day rainfall), which has occured after several decades, may become frequent.
As per the officials, severe cyclone Asani has influenced a phenomenon called pre-monsoon vortex, which is precisely the reason why the city has been witnessing widespread rainfall. Further, about 63% of the season’s rainfall from March-May has been recorded in just 18 days. The data shows the city received 405mm in this period, a departure of 289mm from the normal.
Data for May 17 suggests this is not the first time the city has received so much rainfall in a single day. The highest single-day rain was recorded in 1909 (159mm). IMD is currently going through the data to ascertain whether the 2022 figure is the second highest. “We are in the process of analysing the data to find out where May 17, 2022 stands,” said an official.
A Prasad, a senior IMD official, said going by the current trend, the month will easily surpass the record.
While moderate to heavy showers are predicted for the next five days, the city may start receiving monsoon showers at the fag end of May as it has been advanced and is likely to hit Kerala on May 27.