Representative image showing people shielding themselves against direct heat on a hot, day.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru, DHNS: None of the four observatories of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Bengaluru recorded any rainfall this March, making it one of the driest ever and explaining the ongoing water crisis. The city’s IMD observatory usually receives 14.7 mm of rainfall in March, while the figure for HAL airport stands at 11.2 mm, according to IMD data.
The city witnessed its wettest March in 1981 with 101.2 mm of rainfall. Meanwhile, HAL airport’s wettest March occurred in 2008 when it received 219.9 mm. March 2024, however, was exceptionally dry, with none of the IMD’s 16 observatories in South Interior Karnataka recording any rainfall.
“There was not even so much as a trace of rain,” noted an IMD official. In meteorology, a trace of rain is defined as a minimal but measurable amount, specifically 0.01 cm to 0.49 cm.
This March also saw Bengaluru’s hottest day since 2019, as the maximum temperature soared to 36.6°C in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. The city also experienced the largest departure from the normal maximum temperature, at 2.4°C. At HAL and KIA observatories, the maximum temperature was 2°C above normal, while GKVK reported a 1.2°C increase. The mean maximum temperature for Bengaluru city is 35.7°C, and 35.1°C for HAL airport.
A Prasad, who heads the IMD in Bengaluru, predicts the maximum temperature will hover between 35-36°C over the next two weeks, with light rainfall expected after the second week of April. Additionally, North Interior Karnataka districts—Bagalkot, Vijayapura, and Belagavi—are anticipated to experience thunderstorms at isolated places in the next 24 hours.