Bengaluru set to record wettest May in history: Report
Bengaluru: Bengaluru is reportedly on track to make history this May, with rainfall expected to surpass last year's record of 30.5 cm, making it the wettest May ever recorded in the city.
The capital city has already received 24.6 cm of rain as of May 19, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and with more than 10 days remaining and additional rainfall forecasted, meteorologists predict the city will break the 2023 record. "In another two days, we might cross the 30-cm mark. This May could become the wettest ever," Deccan Herald quoted N. Puviarasan, Head of the Bengaluru Meteorological Centre, as saying.
Last year, Bengaluru set a new record of 30.5 cm in May, surpassing the previous 66-year-old record of 28.7 cm from 1957. The city's rainfall this May is already well above the monthly average of 128.7 mm recorded since 2015. Prior to 2023, Bengaluru’s May rainfall had averaged 18.5 cm, with the lowest in 2020 and 2021 at 13 cm.
From March 1 to May 19, the Bengaluru City observatory recorded 290 mm (29 cm) of rain—172 mm above normal. The city's total annual rainfall so far has reached 30 cm, nearly one-third of the usual 98 cm expected for the entire year, added the report.
Puviarasan attributed the intense rains to a system over the Bay of Bengal. "Usually, we get this kind of rain after the monsoon onset. But this year, monsoon-like circulations arrived early," he explained.
The maximum temperature in Bengaluru is expected to range between 27°C and 28°C, while the minimum will hover around 20°C, until Wednesday.
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Rahul Gandhi to go on two-day Raebareli visit from May 19
Raebareli (UP) (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Raebareli Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on May 19 on a two-day visit, a Congress office-bearer said on Monday.
Congress district president of Raebareli Pankaj Tiwari said that on the first day, Gandhi will inaugurate a marriage hall at Thakurain Kheda in Bachhrawan. Subsequently, he will address a public meeting in Khiron. In Lalganj, he will participate in a 'mahila samvaad' programme.
He further said that on May 20, he will meet the public during a 'Janata Darshan' programme at the Bhuyemau Guest House. Following this, he will participate in the unveiling of a statue of Veera Pasi and attend a public meeting in Lodhwari.
He will then depart for Amethi.
In Amethi, Gandhi will hold meetings with party functionaries, workers and senior leaders at the party's district headquarters, Congress district unit chief Pradeep Singhal said on Sunday.
According to political observers, this meeting would form a part of the strategic preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, alongside an organisational review.
Discussions during the meeting are likely to focus on strengthening the party organisation down to the booth level, increasing participation of youth and women workers, and accelerating public outreach campaigns across villages.
According to sources, a large number of party workers -- from Gram Sabha to the district level -- have been invited to attend the meeting.
Gandhi is expected to interact directly with workers.
During the one-day visit, the Congress leader will also travel to Poore Ramdeen Pandit -- the native village of late Congress district president Yogendra Mishra -- to meet his family members.
Mishra, considered a close associate of the Gandhi family, passed away on March 1 following a prolonged illness.
Political activities in the district have intensified ahead of Gandhi's visit, and party workers have already started making arrangements for his reception.
Kishori Lal Sharma, the Congress MP from Amethi, is also holding regular meetings with local leaders and functionaries to review the preparations.
