Bengaluru Urban is among the districts that have benefited immensely from the early onset of the Southwest monsoon, as the city received almost double the average rainfall in the first 10 days of June. The above-normal rainfall conditions are expected to continue for the next three days, according to forecasts. Data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) showed that the Bengaluru Urban district received an average of 106.8 mm of rainfall since the monsoon entered the state on June 2. The normal for the period is around 56 mm. Very heavy rainfall in north Karnataka districts, due to which a red alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the past two days, is also expected to subside in the coming days. However, an orange alert is issued for several districts in the region where heavy rainfall is forecast till June 13. Similar warnings are issued for coastal Karnataka districts for the period. In Pictures | Heavy rain, floods wreak havoc in part of India Among the 31 districts in Karnataka, 22 have recorded large excesses – wherein rainfall recorded is more than 60 per cent of the normal rainfall – between June 1 and 10. Dry districts of north Karnataka such as Vijayapura and Bagalkot have received almost three times the normal rainfall resulting in flood-like conditions in areas close to water bodies. Karnataka overall has recorded 91 mm of rainfall against the normal average of 51 mm – an excess of 78 per cent. Due to the showers, reservoirs in the state have seen a marginal improvement in water levels. According to KSNDMC sources, the rainfall is yet to translate to significant inflows. “Large runoff to reservoirs usually begins in the month of July after a few spells of heavy rainfall,” a KSNDMC scientist said.
