Bengaluru Heavy Rain: City Battles Flooding as More Showers Loom
May 20, 2025, 3:54 PM | Skymet Weather Team
Image: Getty Images/Skymet
Forecast for Bengaluru: More Rain Ahead
Bengaluru weather today remains grim, with overcast skies and high chances of rain, especially towards the evening and night. Following a torrential spell that dumped 105 mm of rain in just 24 hours—marking the city’s second-heaviest 24-hour rainfall in 15 years—light rain is expected during the day, with heavier downpours likely by evening. Bengaluru rain forecast indicates this wet trend will continue over the next two days, with some residual showers extending into the third. Two cyclonic circulations—one over the Bay of Bengal and another over Coastal Karnataka—are feeding moisture and triggering intense convergence over South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru.
However, this phase won’t last long. As a new low-pressure system develops over the Konkan Coast on May 21, moisture will gradually shift away from Karnataka. The city is expected to dry out starting May 22, with the next significant rain spell likely to return closer to the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala.
Damage Already Done: Waterlogged Streets & Loss of Life
The recent Bengaluru unseasonal rain has left a trail of disruption across the city. Several areas received over 100 mm of rain, the highest single-day rainfall since 2011. Social media timelines were flooded with images of submerged vehicles, foam-filled roads, and waist-deep water—making Bengaluru street foam after rain a trending topic once again.
Tragically, three rain-related deaths were reported, including a 12-year-old boy and a 35-year-old tech professional. In the heart of the city’s tech corridor, a compound wall collapse claimed a life, while countless homes reported flooding. With more than 200 mm rainfall at HAL station since May 1, this month has turned into a stress test for Bengaluru’s urban resilience.
Major tech companies asked employees to work from home as travel became nearly impossible. Residents struggled to navigate traffic jams, flooded underpasses, and stalled public transport, making every commute a challenge.
Why This Happened: Convergence, Construction & Civic Chaos
Bengaluru’s flooding is not just a weather story—it’s a man-made crisis layered over a natural event. The convergence of two cyclonic circulations created ideal conditions for heavy rainfall. But the real issue lies beneath the surface: disappearing lakes, encroached wetlands, poor drainage systems, and unchecked urbanisation. The city once celebrated as India’s “Garden City” is now choking under concrete, with little green cover left to absorb excess water.
As rainfall intensifies during pre-monsoon and monsoon months, the absence of sustainable drainage infrastructure turns every storm into a flood. The 210 flood-prone areas identified by civic bodies are no longer exceptions—they are becoming the norm.
What’s Next for Bengaluru?
With more rain forecast over the next 48 hours, residents should brace for continued disruptions. Once the low-pressure system moves westward, rainfall will reduce over South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, and Hassan by May 22. But the reprieve may be temporary.
As the Southwest Monsoon inches closer to mainland Kerala, Bengaluru could once again be under the radar for intense spells. If urgent steps aren’t taken to redesign the city’s drainage blueprint and protect its ecological buffers, each future rain could resemble a repeat of this week’s disaster.
