Bengaluru, 5 Aug

Moderate to intense storms lashed parts of rural and urban Bengaluru as well as near Mysuru region on Monday evening, bringing the IT hub to a standstill due to widespread waterlogging resulting in traffic snarls, which prompted vexed commuters to vent on social media.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Bengaluru, apart from the IT hub, Chikkaballapura, Hassan, Kolar, Mandya and Ramanagara districts also experienced light thunderstorms with rain.

Bengalureans stuck in inordinate traffic jams remarked on various social media platforms about how just a couple of hours of thunderstorms had brought the city to a dead stop, and posted videos and updates from their respective regions across Karnataka on X.

X users like @aatreyi_bose complained of waterlogging across the city of Bengaluru. Traffic police too used X to warn people of traffic snarls caused by waterlogging. For instance, R T Nagar Traffic BTP handle on X warned of waterlogging at Jayamahal Road, near White Petals back gate, towards Mekhri Circle, urging people to avoid that route if possible.

Seasoned weather watchers expressed disappointment that despite the almost two-month break in thunderstorms in the city, the civic body had not cleared the drains or repaired the roads.

According to X handle Karnataka Weather, which tracks rainfall over the state, thunderstorms also hit parts of Kodagu district, especially at Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, parts of Belagavi district, near Lakshmeshwara in Gadag, Shiggaon in Haveri and Dharwad city.

According to the IMD, on 6 August isolated heavy rain is very likely to occur in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts. Light to moderate rain is very likely in the interior districts of Karnataka.

It has also issued a high wave alert for the coast of Uttara Kannada, from Manali to Bhatkal, advising caution about fishing as well as nearshore recreational activities.