IMD issues orange alert for Bengaluru as southwest monsoon approaches
Heads up, Bengaluru: the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Monday, warning of heavy rain and hailstorms as the southwest monsoon gets closer.
Thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds are also expected through Thursday.
Last night's showers were pretty light, with most areas getting less than 1mm of rain.
Pre-monsoon Bengaluru rainfall down over 50%
This wet weather comes after a tough pre-monsoon season.
By mid-April, Bengaluru had seen just 5.6mm of rain, almost 86% below normal.
Even a late April downpour wasn't enough to fix things; by May 17, rainfall was still down by over one-half compared to the average.
And it's not just Bengaluru: nearly one-half of Karnataka's districts are facing similar shortages, with more patchy rain likely in the days ahead.