Hailstorm, heavy rain batter Bengaluru 

BENGALURU: The countdown to southwest monsoon 2024 has begun. Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorm lashed the city on Monday evening, bringing down trees and leaving motorists stranded on waterlogged roads. Though the rain did not last long, its after-effects did.

With tree branches falling on electrical utilities at several places, power supply was disrupted. Clogged roads led to waterlogging on roads in some areas. 

“It was scorching hot, and suddenly gusty winds started blowing. In no time, heavy rain coupled with hailstones started battering,” said Sunitha Navin, a resident of Sultanpalya in RT Nagar. 

“The rain brought us much respite from the heat, though it led to waterlogging on roads. The drains need to be desilted before the arrival of monsoon rains,” said Rajkiran of Frazer Town.