Bengaluru records highest rainfall in at least 115 years

BENGALURU: The incessant rainfall over the past two months has made 2017 the wettest year for Bengaluru city. The annual rainfall for the city, 1615.2mm as on Saturday morning, is the highest ever, more than 1606.8 mm, the earlier record, in 2005. The Indian Meteorological Department has rainfall data for 115 years.

L Ramesh Babu, an IMD director, Bengaluru city, said Friday night showers helped set the new record and with more than two and a half months left in the year, the annual rainfall could be much higher.

A senior official at the meteorological department said Bengaluru city is facing a unique weather system wherein the south-west monsoon has extended its stint and soon the north-east monsoon will arrive. "The combination of the weather system coupled by low pressure situation created in the Arabian Sea is resulting in showers over interior Karnataka and Bengaluru falls in this region," he added. The officer said there has been record rainfall in Bengaluru city after 1990.


"One has to analyse the possible relation to climate change as extreme weather events are related to it. Bengaluru is a growing city and has been experiencing heat island effect which further results in rainfall after a prolonged harsh summer or dry run," he added. The Friday night rain which wreaked havoc in west Bengaluru families saw major political parties making a beeline to express their condolences to the affected families and provide compensation.

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa accompanied by Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda visited the families of the priest, two others washed away and a couple who died in a wall collapse. The party announced a compensation of 1 lakh each to kin of the deceased and 50,000 for the grievously injured.