Its a scorching sun out there in a clear blue sky most days, leaving Bengalureans looking for some signs of impending rain, disappointed. Monday was by far one of the hottest days with the temperature soaring to 37.1 degrees. But all people could do was fan themselves some more or turn the airconditioning on higher in the absence of showers to cool down the city, which has received only 2.7 mm of rainfall over the last three -and- a- half- months. Although the weathermen say the current temperatures are normal for this time of the year, eco lovers are blaming what is popularly being perceived as one of the hottest and driest Aprils Bengaluru has experienced in recent years, on the widening of roads, cutting of trees and growing concretisation all around.
Pre- monsoon showers that are common during April and May over the city, Kolar, Tumkur and parts of Mandya and Chitradurga, have skipped Bengaluru so far this year as some of the weather systems approaching it lacked intensity and did not precipitate in rain during March, says the meteorological department. “Two weather systems with a potential to bring rain to the city were recorded over the Arabian Sea towards Vidharbha and Sri Lanka, but they weakened and brought no rain,” explains a meteorologist from the IMD, Bengaluru, however holding out hope of rain over the city in the next few days as a majority of April showers in Bengaluru have been received towards the end of the month. “A single day can bring as much rainfall as one can expect over an entire month going by the trend of the last few years,” he adds reassuringly.
Director of IMD, Bengaluru, B. Puttanna, too points out that the rain in April was received only at the fag end of the month last year and believes the city has been largely dry so far this summer because the temperature has not risen beyond 36 degrees, giving no cope for thunder activity. But this could be set to change now with the temperature soaring, according to him. “Greater amount of solar radiation will help create clouds using available moisture in the atmosphere and further precipitation,” he says, explaining that rain over Bengaluru is the culmination of a complex weather phenomenon and the city’s topography is such that it may occur over some parts and skip others altogether.