Bengaluru might see rain after 146-day dry spell, says IMD: Report

Sparse rainfall is expected in south-interior Karnataka, including in Bengaluru, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the IMD said.

Bengaluru city has been awaiting relief from high temperatures and sizzling heat in the form of rain for 146 days now. The city's dry spell is however set to end soon, some weather forecasts indicated. The last time Bengaluru received rain was on November 21 last year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), The Times of India reported.

Bengaluru, as well as other parts of Karnataka, especially the northern districts, have been witnessing high temperatures. (HT File/Representative image)

"The temperature has been above normal across the country, not just in Bengaluru. There is no heatwave condition in the state now, and sparse rainfall is expected in south-interior Karnataka, including in Bengaluru, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The mercury's northward journey is driven by El Nino - warming of the Pacific Ocean, causing less rainfall over India. Another reason is the atmosphere is stable. It's only when it is unstable that clouds develop. It'll remain stable in Karnataka for the next three days," A senior official from IMD Bengaluru told the publication.

"The third reason for the dry spell in the state is the drought situation of 2023. Thereby, there is no soil moisture and this has caused an increase in temperature. Dry soil and air both contribute to heatwave," He added.

IMD forecasts rain in Karnataka this week

The IMD in its daily bulletin predicted rainfall in various parts of Karnataka, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Ballari, Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapura, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Davangere, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Tumkur and Vijayanagara districts till the end of the week.

For Bengaluru, the agency forecasted a mainly clear sky, with maximum and minimum temperatures very likely to be around 36 degrees Celsius and 22 degrees Celsius, respectively, for the next 48 hours.