Bengaluru is set to experience another short but hectic period of pre-monsoon weather, with showers, thundershowers, and even hail anticipated to affect the city within the next few days. The latest bulletin released by the India Meteorological Department suggests that the stormy and rainy situation prevailing in the city, as well as the neighboring parts of South Interior Karnataka, will start improving from May 2.As per the forecast, there will be fairly widespread to scattered rainfall in the city, with chances of light to moderate rain and thundershowers, which might be accompanied by hail as well as gusty winds with speeds of up to 40-60 kmph. This can cause some minor disruptions due to sudden showers, lightning, as well as gusty winds, which may cause waterlogging in some low-lying parts of the city, making it difficult for people to get around during peak travel time. Apart from flights and roads, even some outdoor activities will get affected. Also, as per the IMD, heavy rainfall, along with isolated hailstorm activity, is expected in South Interior Karnataka on May 1.According to the bulletin, starting from May 2, rainfall activity in Bengaluru is expected to decline significantly, resulting in the onset of isolated showers in one or two spots. This indicates that although there may still be intermittent rainfall in some areas, this time it will not be on such a significant scale. It is clear from this analysis that there is likely to be a shift from the stormy period to a more stable weather condition.
Weather activities across India
The scenario in India appears quite different from what Bengaluru could experience in terms of weather activities. In the All India Weather Forecast bulletin published by the IMD, there is a mention of rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds being prevalent in different parts of India. The main reason behind this weather pattern has been identified as the western disturbance that has formed over the Himalayas and the trough from South Interior Karnataka to the Gulf of Mannar.The northeastern region of the country is predicted to receive the maximum rainfall during the upcoming period. States like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya are predicted to witness fairly widespread to widespread rainfall, accompanied by isolated heavy to very heavy showers until May 3. Such intense showers may result in flooding in vulnerable regions, disruption in road transport, and air traffic disturbances. Likewise, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are also predicted to witness persistent rains along with gusty winds for an extended period of time.Similarly, eastern India is also anticipated to be impacted by active meteorological phenomena. The state of West Bengal and Sikkim is forecast to witness widespread rainfall for seven days, which would be associated with thunderstorms and gusty winds blowing at around 30 to 50 km per hour. Thundersqualls, during which the wind speed rises to about 70 km per hour, are forecast to take place on select days. Adjoining states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha would encounter scattered rainfall, thunderstorms, and sporadic hailstorms, especially in the initial days of the forecast period.
North and Central India: A mix of storms and heat
Weather changes are anticipated in Northwest India over the next couple of days. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are likely to experience rain and snowfall up to May 6th. The rain and snowfall can affect the routes used for traveling in the hills such as highways and trekking sites. On the other hand, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds are likely to be experienced in plains like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh on various days.Central India will experience isolated rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds in the coming days. However, heatwaves are still expected to continue in some parts of Vidarbha and Rajasthan, which contrasts the regions that are receiving heavy rains and the ones facing severe heat waves.
Southern India stays active, but briefly
In addition to Bengaluru, other south Indian states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are also forecast to receive isolated showers with thundershowers and gusty winds up to early May. Areas in Tamil Nadu and Kerala would continue to receive heavy rain till May 2, while there could be instances of isolated thundersqualls in some coastal areas, especially along the east coast.As opposed to Bengaluru, rainfall in southern peninsular India is predicted to be on a downward trend from May 3 onwards. There would be more isolated showers with prolonged periods of dry weather. It is particularly important for coastal Karnataka, where rainfall is predicted to reduce significantly following the initial rains.
Temperature trends and evolving weather systems
The IMD report has further stated some noteworthy trends in terms of temperature as well. The north-western part of India will witness an increase in day-time temperature till May 2 after which there would be a considerable drop of 3–5°C from May 3 till May 6. Central India might see a slight fall in the temperature levels after which it might stabilize, whereas there will be no changes in other parts of the country.
Plan your travel with caution:
From a traveller’s perspective, the upcoming week requires you to plan carefully. Bangalore might witness showers accompanied by winds and hail, while North-Eastern and Eastern parts of India might encounter disruptions caused by heavy rainfall, waterlogging, and thunder squalls. Hill areas in Northern India might have disruptions caused by bad weather, whereas sudden storms might disrupt things in Central India amid increasing temperatures.
