Bengaluru : Heavy rains lead to flooding in homes, damaged vehicles; yellow alert issued

Bengaluru was hit hard on Wednesday by rain, flooding numerous major thoroughfares in the east, south, and centre of the city, including Bellandur’s IT district.

The Meteorological Department reports that Rajmahal Guttahalli in the city’s north received 59 mm of rain. The meteorological office has issued a yellow notice, which means there will be severe rain for the next three days, according to the forecast.

Pictures taken in low-lying areas revealed severely flooded roadways, water rushing into exposed manholes, flooded parking garages, and damaged automobiles. Rain began around 7.30 p.m., during the busiest hour of the evening, forcing office workers on their way home to seek cover at metro stations.

The yellow alert has been issued for the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Haveri, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Koppal and Ballary.

After three consecutive days of rain, the city saw record flooding last month, which sparked a political conflict between the Congress and the ruling BJP. (Also Read: Numerology prediction October 20: Know your lucky number, colour and day)

It took days for the water to drain from areas of the city that are home to both domestic and international IT start-ups. In close-by residential neighbourhoods, water and electricity lines were severed and roadways were impassable. Residents of several of the upscale housing colonies had to be rescued using tractors.

Office workers were asked to work from home while schools were closed.

Affecting flight operations, dramatic videos of rescues, flooded homes and highways, and submerged costly cars circulated on social media.

With 1706 mm of rain falling in the IT capital since the monsoon began, this year’s torrential rains have smashed all previous records. The city received 1,696 mm of rain in 2017.