Bengaluru, other districts to receive heavy rainfall for next 2 days as Cyclone Fengal's impact lingers
Bengaluru and several Karnataka districts are bracing for two more days of heavy rain due to the remnants of cyclone Fengal. Traffic jams and waterlogging have already caused significant disruption in Bengaluru, prompting authorities to deploy mitigation teams and issue weather alerts.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the residual impacts of cyclone Fengal, which has degraded into a low-pressure region over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, would continue to cause heavy rains in Bengaluru and many Karnataka districts for the next two days.
Significant disruption has been caused by the cyclone's aftereffects, especially in Bengaluru, where the rains started on Sunday night. "Moderate rain is expected on Tuesday, with a decrease in rain from Wednesday," stated CS Patil, head of the IMD Bengaluru division. The districts of Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya, and Ramanagara are under a yellow alert.
Significant traffic jams were created by the ongoing rain on Monday around Bengaluru, with cars backed up in lengthy lines on main thoroughfares including Mysuru Road, Tumakuru Road, and NICE Road.
The airport road overpass next to Sahakar Nagar was among the most affected, with travelers stranded there for hours. "Traffic has been quite sluggish for a number of miles. In a statement, Bengaluru City Traffic Police urged drivers to exercise caution.
Along with the traffic jams, several areas of the city, including Bannerghatta Road, Kanakapura Road, Outer Ring Road, and the Panathur underbridge, were reported to be waterlogged. In addition to several businesses and schools being impacted, locals have complained about having trouble accessing flooded regions.
Tushar Girinath, chief commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), stated: "To deal with the fallen trees and branches, we have sent out 28 tree-cutting teams. Our flood mitigation teams are prepared to respond to crises, and our engineers are on guard, especially in low-lying locations."
For the next two days, Bengaluru and several areas of Karnataka will continue to see heavy rains. An orange alert has been issued for the districts of Udupi, Chikmagaluru, and Chikkaballapura as a precaution, with 11 to 20 cm of rain predicted over the course of the following day. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in several districts, including Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Shivamogga, and Chamarajanagar.
Because of the continuous rain, deputy commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy declared a vacation for anganwadis, schools, and pre-university colleges in Mysuru on December 3. In a same vein, degree colleges will continue to accept examinations even though the Chamarajanagar district would close its schools.
Due to the orange alert and the predicted severe winds and heavy rain, district magistrate Vidyakumari of Udupi ordered the closure of all schools and colleges on December 3.