Bengaluru rain brought traffic to a crawl on Thursday evening, with waterlogging reported across major roads, commuters stranded in the Central Business District and ride-hailing fares rising sharply on short trips. Power outages were also reported in parts of southern and northeastern Bengaluru as the city faced another spell of heavy rainfall.
Traffic congestion was particularly severe in the CBD, while motorists on Hosur Road experienced bumper-to-bumper movement. Several locations near Electronics City reported severe waterlogging, slowing vehicles and affecting commuter access to one of Bengaluru’s busiest employment corridors.
Slow-moving traffic linked to waterlogging was reported on M.G. Road, Commissionerate Road, Acharya Layout Road, Anand Rao Circle, R.P. Road towards P.G. Halli, Mehkri Circle and Jayamahal, among other stretches. The disruption affected motorists and officegoers during the evening travel period, when traffic volumes are typically high across the city.
According to Greater Bengaluru Authority sources cited in the report, no tree falls were recorded. However, more than 10 cases of tree branches snapping were flagged across the city’s five corporations. The incidents added to concerns for road users during intense rain, even as the available information did not indicate any major tree-fall obstruction.
The rain also exposed the immediate dependence of Bengaluru’s urban mobility system on road conditions. When waterlogging slows private vehicles and buses, commuters who turn to app-based services face another pressure: surge pricing. Several officegoers shared screenshots on social media showing fares of more than ₹300 for trips of around 5 km on ride-hailing applications.
The combination of flooded or waterlogged roads, dense evening traffic and higher last-mile travel costs left commuters with fewer reliable options. The disruption was spread across central, southern and northeastern parts of the city, indicating that the impact was not confined to a single junction or neighbourhood.
Power outages were reported in southern and northeastern Bengaluru, although the report did not specify the number of affected consumers or the duration of the interruptions. The incidents added electricity reliability to the list of services affected during the rainfall, alongside road movement and app-based transport availability.
The India Meteorological Department in Bengaluru said the city was likely to experience generally cloudy skies, with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers, over the following three days. The forecast points to the possibility of further disruption to traffic and local services, although the report did not provide a specific warning level or rainfall total.
The next phase of the city’s response will depend on how quickly waterlogged stretches clear, whether additional branch-fall or power-related incidents are reported, and how traffic and civic agencies manage conditions during the forecast rain spells.
