Bengaluru: Rains again throw normal life out of gear

Heavy rains that hit Bengaluru on Monday evening, May 18, 2026, led to 21 trees being uprooted and 46 branches falling across the city, while waterlogging was reported in many areas, slowing down traffic flow.

According to data from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), as of 7.30pm, nine fallen trees and six branches had been cleared; 12 trees and 40 branches have not been cleared yet.

Following the heavy rain, waterlogging occurred in some important areas, causing traffic to move slowly during the busy evening hours. The affected areas included Jayamahal Main Road, stretch from Manyata Technology Park towards Outer Ring Road, Dommasandra near KR Puram Metro station, Dommasandra towards Muthanallur Cross, Balagere, Airport Road and stretch from Gunjur towards Varthur. Due to waterlogging, traffic congestion was also reported at GRT Junction towards Hosakote, Vaddarahalli towards Geddalahalli, Cauvery Junction towards Palace Cross, Udaya TV underpass towards Jayamahal Road, Kalyan Nagar towards Uttam Sagar Junction, Hennur Cross towards Vaddarapalya.

The rain started around 16:00 and lasted for about 45 minutes. According to the observation data recorded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 17.30, the city of Bengaluru received 24.2 mm of rainfall, HAL Airport received 0.6 mm and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) received 4.7 mm of rainfall. According to data recorded by the Automatic Meteorological Station of the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, 40 mm of rainfall was received in GKVK and 23.5 mm in Bengaluru till 5.30 pm.

Many airlines have also issued travel warnings stating that the planned flight may be affected by rain. IndiGo has issued an alert stating that bad weather conditions in Bengaluru have affected flight schedules. “We are monitoring the weather conditions closely and doing our best to get you where you need to be safely and smoothly,” the statement said. Akasa Air also said some flights on its network were affected due to severe weather conditions in Bengaluru. KIA officials said one of the Air India Express flights was diverted to Chennai due to bad weather conditions.

The maximum temperature in Bengaluru city was 34°C, while at HAL Airport and KIA the maximum temperature was 34.4°C and 35°C respectively.

The weather forecast for the next 36 hours for Bengaluru and its surroundings states that the weather will be partly cloudy and generally cloudy towards the afternoon.

“Light to moderate rain/thunderstorm is likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 33 degrees Celsius and 22 degrees Celsius respectively,” IMD said.