Karnataka: Deficit pre-monsoon rainfall in 11 districts

Eleven districts in Karnataka, including Bengaluru Urban, received deficit pre-monsoon rainfall between March 1 and May 11.

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre’s (KSNDMC) district-wise pre-monsoon pattern-2026, during this period, Bengaluru Urban (-23%), Bengaluru South (-29%), Tumakuru (-21%), Chitradurga (-44%), Vijayanagar (-24%), Davangere (-25%), Hassan (-28%), Kodagu (-48%), Mysuru (-50%), Mandya (-42%) and Chamarajanagar (-39%) received deficit rainfall.

Rainfall is considered normal when it varies between +19% and -19%, deficient when it varies between -20% and -59%, large deficient when it is -60% or less, excess when it varies between +20% and +59%, and large excess when it is +60% and above.

Sixteen districts — Bengaluru Rural, Chickballapur, Kolar, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Ballari, Koppal, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Yadgir, and Bidar — received normal rainfall.

While Bidar, Raichur, and Gadag received excess rainfall, Dharwad and Kalaburagi received large excess rainfall. The KSNDMC’s taluk-wise data reveals that 11 taluks received large deficit rainfall, 99 taluks received deficit rainfall, 72 taluks received normal rainfall, 33 taluks received excess rainfall, and 21 taluks received large excess rainfall.

The summer has been intense across the State, with a few districts in north-interior Karnataka recording a maximum temperature of more than 40°C on many occasions.

In Bengaluru for instance, the temperature was above 35°C for most of April and even crossed the 36°C mark on many occasions.

On Monday (May 11), the IMD forecast said that there would be an increase in maximum temperature by 2-3°C in north-interior Karnataka during the next five days.

“There will be no large change in maximum temperature in coastal Karnataka and south-interior Karnataka during next five days,” IMD said.

The IMD has already stated that the 2026 southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall (June to September) across Karnataka is expected to be below normal in most parts of the State. However, some regions in northeast and southeast-interior Karnataka are likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall.