Mangaluru/Bengaluru, May 26: Setting the stage for the onset of the southwest monsoon over Karnataka, the coastal districts and other parts of the state received heavy rain last night. At least five persons were killed due to lighting strikes in last two days in different parts.
A powerful lighting strike claimed the life of a 36-year-old woman at Nellikaru village in Moodbidri of Dakshina Kannada last night when rains lashed different parts of the coastal district coupled with heavy thunderstorms.
The victim has been identified as Savitri Rathod, wife a Nalappa Rathod, who serves in the Forest Department. He also suffered injuries in the incident.
A 25-year-old woman was struck dead by lightning at Bisalwadi in Chamarajanagar on Thursday evening. The victim Seetamma was taking shelter under a tree when the lightning struck her. The dodarasanakere pond filled after three decades, owing to copious rain in the region.
Heavy rains also affected parts of Bengaluru leading to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre issuing moderate flood alerts in the city.
Meanwhile, the rains however brought relief from the sweltering heat in several other parts of the state including Mandya. While trees and electricity poles were uprooted in KR Pet and Srirangapatna in the district and vehicles were left stranded on roads, the rains also brought cheer to residents by bringing down the temperature.
Kodagu district received widespread rain on Thursday and Friday nights. Madikeri, Napoklu, Talacauvery and Bhagamandala witnessed heavy rain while Virajpet, Gonikoppa, Shanivarsanthe experienced drizzle through the night.
Heavy rain, coupled with gusty wind, has affected normal life in Gadag-Betageri, Laxmeshwar, Gajendragad, Naregal and Dambal in Gadag district.Basapur near Laxmeshwar was the worst hit. More than 30 houses were damaged in the storm. A century-old banyan tree was uprooted as the strong wind swept past Kalakaleshwara village near Gajendragad.
Lightning strike kills 3 in Ballari district
Three persons were killed after being struck by lightning and private and public property were damaged due to gusty winds that have been blowing all over Ballari during the past 48 hours.
Deaths have been reported from Ballari, Sandur and Hosapete taluks. In addition, 150 houses and huts, horticultural crops and agricultural crops, including mango, banana, sapota and paddy, have been destroyed in 248 hectares of land mostly in Hosapete and Hagari Bommanahalli taluks.
More rains expected
The weather office has issued a heavy rainfall warning for the next couple of days in parts of the State even as the government machinery began gearing up to face the monsoon.
According to Sunil Gavaskar, meteorologist at KSNDC, “This rainfall is due to the trough which is going over Karnataka, and there is also an upper air cyclonic circulation near Tamil Nadu coast, due to which we are getting additional rainfall.”
"Intermittent showers of moderate rainfall are expected in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka during the weekend. The systems in place will remain the same," he added.
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