Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Bengalureans woke up to light rain and overcast skies on Thursday as the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) issued an Orange Alert for 17 districts across Coastal and South Interior Karnataka till July 31, while North Interior Karnataka remains under a Yellow Alert till August 2.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre issued Orange Alerts for heavy rain and thunderstorms in 17 Coastal and South Interior districts until July 31, and Yellow Alerts for North Interior Karnataka until August 2.
According to the weather bulletin issued by KSNDMC, South Interior Karnataka districts including Bengaluru, Ramanagara, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Shivamogga, Davanagere, Chitradurga and Vijayanagara are placed under an Orange Alert till July 31. These districts are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on July 30, while thunderstorms are expected to continue into the weekend under a Yellow Alert.
Coastal Karnataka will also bear the brunt of the ongoing wet spell as Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts are under an Orange Alert for July 30 and 31. Very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, squally weather and strong surface winds are likely during this period. Rainfall intensity is expected to ease from August 1, when a Yellow Alert for heavy rain will remain in place. Weather conditions are likely to improve from August 2.
A Yellow Alert has also been issued for North Interior Karnataka till August 2. Heavy rain and thunderstorm activity is likely across Bagalkote, Belagavi, Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura, Yadgir and Ballari districts during the period.
However, rains are expected to ease across Karnataka from August 3 with no warnings issued thereafter.
Meanwhile, weather enthusiasts are closely tracking long-range forecasts amid concerns over Bengaluru’s rainfall pattern. According to the latest ECMWF weather model projections, dry and sunny conditions could persist during the first two weeks of August if monsoon activity weakens. Some weather watchers have cautioned that an extended dry spell, coupled with a weak monsoon break phase or Northeast Monsoon, could put pressure on groundwater levels and Cauvery water supplies. It may be recalled that Bengaluru had witnessed a 170-day dry spell between November 2023 and April 2024 which contributed to the city’s water crisis earlier this year.
