The tech city of Bengaluru has remained unusually warm, this summer season. After having a prolonged dry spell since early January, the city received a few welcome showers on 03rd May. This has been the driest spell for the city experienced in the last two decades. The temperatures have been unrelenting. The capital city has remained at 37°C or above, continuously between 21st April and 05th May. During this long stretch of oppressive heat, the mercury breached the 38°C mark on 5 occasions.
Earlier, the city recorded the second hottest day of April in the last 50 years. The city observatory at HAL recorded 38.5°C on 28th April 2024. The hottest ever of 39.2°C was recorded on 25th April 2016. The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has been exceeding the city's temperatures on quite a few occasions. Bengaluru remains hot during April and May. However, the thunderstorm activity becomes frequent in May, more so, during the 2nd half of the month. The true relief comes with the arrival of monsoon, anytime around the first week of June.
Bengaluru is expected to have decent showers during this week. The intensity and spread could be sizeable on the 07th and 09th of May. Even the weekend and start of next week can expect some moderate showers on 12th and 13th May. The jinx of dry weather conditions seems to be over for the city and suburbs. Rains may not be heavy all the time but the oppressive heat is expected to be mitigated.
The pre-monsoon trough across the interiors of Peninsular India is synonymous with the usual thunderstorm activity. This feature remained inactive, so far. However, it is getting revived to resume the seasonal pattern across the region, in general and Bengaluru, as well. A north-south oriented trough extends from Marathwada to down south, across the interiors of Karnataka. An east-west oscillation of the trough will trigger the pre-monsoon activity for both, rural and urban Bengaluru. There is the likelihood of catchment areas getting some decent showers, addressing the water woes, at least partially.
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