Bengaluru Records Highest-Ever May Rainfall with 315 mm

Bengaluru

Silicon City witnessed a historic weather event in May 2025, recording 315 mm of rainfall — the highest-ever for the month since records began. This surpassed the previous May record of 305 mm set in 2023, setting a new benchmark for pre-monsoon rainfall in the city.

Typically, Bengaluru receives about 149 mm of rain in May. This year’s total was over double the average — a staggering 103% excess. Meteorologists attributed the extreme rainfall to a strong pre-monsoon system, with a trough formation over the southern interior region trapping moisture-laden clouds and leading to frequent heavy showers.

May Rainfall Over the Years (in mm):
• 2025 – 315
• 2024 – 181
• 2023 – 305
• 2022 – 270
• 2021 – 130
• 2020 – 129
• 2019 – 155
• 2018 – 239

The persistent downpour has led to a noticeable drop in temperatures, with overcast skies and misty mornings giving Bengaluru an unusually cool, monsoon-like feel during peak summer. Breezy evenings and limited sunshine added to the unseasonal chill.

With the pre-monsoon system weakening, forecasts suggest clearer skies ahead. Winds are expected to blow at 30–40 km/h, with maximum and minimum temperatures hovering around 29°C and 21°C over the next 48 hours.

While the rains have brought relief from the summer heat, they also caused traffic jams, uprooted trees, and waterlogging in several areas. Civic agencies remain on high alert as the city prepares for the onset of the official monsoon season.

With May setting a new precipitation record, attention now turns to how June and the upcoming monsoon months will shape up for the Garden City.