Amid heavy rains across Karnataka, mercury in capital city Bengaluru dipped considerably as it recorded a minimum temperature as low as 17.9°C. This was the lowest minimum temperature recorded in the month of May in 10 years. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its bulletin on Friday, May 20, that its station at the Kempegowda International Airport recorded minimum and maximum temperatures of 17.4°C and 23.8°C respectively, while the HAL airport station recorded minimum and maximum temperatures of 16.6°C and 22.7°C. Bengaluru city recorded a maximum temperature of 22.4°C in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, heavy rain continued to pound Karnataka on Friday, triggering fear of landslides in the coastal district, while the death toll in rain-related incidents rose to nine in the state. While the IMD has forecast heavy rainfall for two more days in the state, the Geological Survey of India has warned of landslides in Uttara Kannada district. According to statistics of the Revenue Ministry, 23 houses have collapsed completely and nine persons have lost their lives across the state. As many as 204 hectares of agriculture and 431 hectares of horticultural crops have also been destroyed.
Capital Bengaluru woke up to a sunny morning after a long gap. However, average rainfall is predicted in the city for Friday. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will visit rain-affected areas in the city for the third consecutive day.
Holidays have been declared in schools of Davanagere, Dharwad and Haveri districts. Four Units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have arrived for rescue and relief operations in three coastal districts, Kodagu, Mysuru, Hassan, Raichuru, Yadgir, Ballary, Kalaburgi and Bengaluru.
A red warning has been issued in Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere, Chikkamagalur, Udupi and Shivamogga districts for Friday. Rains with lightning and thunderstorms are also likely there.
Bagalkot, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal, Ballary, Bengaluru Rural, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramnagar and Tumkur districts will receive rainfall in the next 24 hours.
Hundreds of hectares of paddy crop has been destroyed by the heavy rains in Davanagere district.
Chief Minister Bommai had stated that modernisation of stormwater drains in an integrated way is being taken up at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore in Bengaluru to find solutions to havoc created in the city due to heavy rains.