Bengaluru and 22 other Karnataka districts to see heavy rains; Yellow alert issued till May 22; Check full forecast here

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in 23 districts across Karnataka, including Bengaluru. The warning is in place from Friday evening to May 22, as per a TOI report.

According to the IMD, moderate to heavy thundershowers are likely across south interior Karnataka. Places such as Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Kodagu, Belagavi, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Davanagere, and Chitradurga are all on alert. These areas may also experience strong winds between 50–60 km/h.

An IMD official said, “All these districts are expected to get widespread rain with lightning and thunderstorms over the next seven days.”


An upper-air cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Bay of Bengal, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu is causing the current weather. There's also a trough extending from Telangana to North Tamil Nadu, which is helping pull in more moisture and leading to rain across southern India.

The IMD has also said that the conditions are looking good for the southwest monsoon to move forward over parts of the South Arabian Sea, increasing the chances of rain and thunderstorms in Karnataka.

Bengaluru officials on alert

After the rain warning, Bengaluru officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority, traffic police, and other agencies met to plan and prevent rain-related problems.

The focus is on handling flooded roads and traffic jams.

Sahil Bagla, DCP (traffic-east), said they discussed tree falls and traffic problems in detail.

Siri Gowri DR, DCP (traffic-north), added that places with regular waterlogging have been marked and shared with the BBMP for action.

R Snehal, Zonal Commissioner (East), BBMP, said they will place water-pumping machines in flooded spots to remove rainwater quickly.

Inputs from TOI