Bengaluru has recorded its highest-ever rainfall for the month of May, the Deccan Herald reported on Monday.

As of 6 am on May 26, the city received 307.9 mm rainfall, the India Meteorological Department said. The previous record for May was set in 2023, when Bengaluru received 305.4 mm of rain, The New Indian Express reported.

In May 2024, the city received 181.5 mm of rainfall and 270.2 mm in May 2022.

During this year’s pre-monsoon season, which began on March 1, Bengaluru Urban recorded 340.6 mm of rainfall, which was 155 mm above normal, the Deccan Herald reported.

The southwest monsoon arrived in Karnataka on May 24, nearly 10 days ahead of schedule. It reached Kerala on the same day.

Bengaluru city will experience more rain in the coming days, N Puviarasan, the director-in-charge of the India Meteorological Department in Bengaluru, told The New Indian Express.

The weather agency has issued a five-day red alert for southern interior areas of Karnataka, including Bengaluru, till Tuesday. An orange alert will remain in effect until the end of the month.
A red alert requires authorities to “take action”, while an orange alert requires them to “be prepared” for extreme weather events.

On Monday, Bengaluru recorded a maximum temperature of 26.7 degrees Celsius, which was 5.3 degrees below the normal of 32 degrees Celsius.

Heavy rainfall and lower-than-normal temperatures have led to a spike in viral infections, especially respiratory illnesses, The Times of India reported.

“We’re seeing an increase in upper respiratory tract infections, especially the common cold, cough and flu-like illnesses,” the newspaper quoted Darshana Reddy, senior consultant in internal medicine at the city’s Altius Hospital as saying. “The sudden weather shift and rise in humidity are creating the perfect recipe for viruses to thrive and spread.”

Meanwhile, Mumbai has also recorded its highest rainfall for May in 107 years. The India Meteorological Department’s Colaba observatory in South Mumbai has logged 295 mm of rainfall so far this month, surpassing the previous high of 279.4 mm recorded in May 1918.