Rare Oct morning thunderstorms catch B'luru off guard again

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: Amid the heavy downpour in the city, residents of many flood-affected areas have taken to social media to pour out their woes ranging from waterlogging to complaining about "crumbling" infrastructure. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for both Bengaluru Urban and Rural for Monday. The administration has declared a holiday for schools following heavy stagnation of water at crucial junctions of the city like the Silk Board, making going from one place to another almost impossible. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, for its part, has issued an advisory urging people to “stay indoors, close windows and doors and avoid travel if possible”. But these announcements came under criticism from netizens as in some parts of Bengaluru the sun shone brightly.

Although, those in affected areas have posted videos of their inundated roads and service roads, justifying the need for holiday and the work-from-home option. Climate scientist Pradeep, who keeps a tab on rains in Bengaluru, via @Bengalururain, has observed that such morning thunderstorms in October are rare. “Some parts of West Bengaluru crossed 60mm.

However, it appears to have slightly weakened," he posted on his X page Bengaluru Rain Alert. One of the X users, Dr Rajath Athreya (@FoolzWizdom), a neonatologist had posted videos from Outer Ring Road (ORR). “This is now on a stretch of ORR, which doesn't usually get inundated. Anyone that does not need to be out on the roads please do not venture out,” he commented.