City sees one of its coldest days in May

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Bengaluru recorded one of its coldest minimum temperatures in May as mercury dipped to 17.9 degrees Celsius.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) disclosed the information in one of its daily reports on Friday at 5:30 pm. Incessant rainfall has been making the city cooler since the start of the month. The coldest minimum temperature Bengaluru has ever experienced was 16.7 degrees Celsius on May 6, 1945.

Moreover, Bengaluru International Airport recorded an even lower minimum temperature at 17.4 degrees Celsius while Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport was chillier still at 16.6 degrees Celsius. The city limits received 4.9 mm of rain on Friday as of 8:30 am and an additional 3.6 mm by 5:30 pm.

IMD has forecast more rains in the next two days. “Generally cloudy sky. Few spells of rain are very likely. Maximum and Minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 27 and 20 Degree Celsius respectively,” an IMD forecast said.

IMD scientist Geeta Agnihotri confirmed the same, adding that “the quantum of rainfall has been abnormal” in May this year. She said that the rains were causing a cyclonic circulation that originated in the Arabian Sea. She also credited a trough that was extending from Vidarbha in northern Maharashtra to Kerala, adding that these were pre-monsoon conditions. Cyclonic circulations refer to the counter clockwise swirling motion of winds caused by low pressure areas, which results in rainfall. When the winds are turning in a clockwise direction in a spatial scale, it essentially means that there is moisture incursion.

Orange alert for 7 districts
Meanwhile, IMD withdrew its red alerts from Thursday and instead issued orange alerts (heavy rainfall) for seven districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga.