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Bengaluru: Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and hailstorm lashed the city on Wednesday evening, disrupting normal life and leaving at least nine people dead in rain-related incidents.

Seven people were killed when the compound wall of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital collapsed on individuals who had taken shelter from the rain. Several others were injured and are undergoing treatment.

In a separate incident, a person identified as Syed Sufiyan died due to electrocution in Yarappanahalli, highlighting the severity of the rain-related damage.

The sudden downpour, which lasted for less than an hour, caused widespread destruction. Roads were flooded, vehicles were submerged or swept away in some areas, and traffic was severely affected. Trees were uprooted, and power supply was disrupted in several localities, forcing residents to spend hours in darkness.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister visited the affected areas separately. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the wall collapse incident. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Emergency teams from the BBMP, fire and emergency services, and police rushed to the spot and carried out rescue and relief operations. Relatives of the victims gathered at the site, and emotional scenes were reported.

Sudden hailstorm after weeks of heat

After nearly a month of high temperatures reaching up to 37 degrees Celsius, the city witnessed a sudden spell of heavy rain with thunder, lightning and hailstorm.

Several parts of the city were covered with layers of hailstones, resembling snow-like conditions. Streets turned into waterlogged stretches, and water entered hundreds of houses and offices, causing significant inconvenience. Government offices, including Vidhana Soudha, also reported water seepage, damaging some records.

Strong winds added to the damage, with dry branches and debris blown across roads.

Rainfall data

According to the India Meteorological Department, Bengaluru recorded 4.6 cm of rainfall on Wednesday, the highest in 2026 so far. Chamarajpet recorded the highest rainfall at 7.7 cm.

Other areas that received significant rainfall include Cottonpet (7.7 cm), Bommanahalli and Pulakeshinagar (6.2 cm), Vishweshwarapuram (6.1 cm), Rajamahal Guttahalli (5.4 cm), BTM Layout (4.7 cm), Vannarpet and Sampangiramanagar (3.9 cm each), RR Nagar and Kengeri (3.8 cm each), Dayanandanagar (3.7 cm), HAL Airport (3.3 cm), Marathahalli (3.1 cm), Pattabhiramanagar (3.1 cm), Basaveshwaranagar (2.7 cm), Doresanipalya (2.5 cm), Vidyapeeta (2.3 cm), Nagapura (2.3 cm), Hemmigepura (2.2 cm), Koramangala (2.2 cm), Arekere (2.1 cm), Herohalli (2 cm) and Nandini Layout (1.9 cm).

Why hailstorm occurs

Weather experts explained that warm air near the ground rises rapidly carrying moisture to higher altitudes, around 10 to 12 km above the surface. When this moisture reaches extremely cold layers in the atmosphere, it turns into ice particles. Strong winds push these particles upward repeatedly, allowing them to grow in size by accumulating layers of moisture. Once they become too heavy, they fall to the ground as hailstones.

Temperature drops sharply

The temperature in Bengaluru, which had been around 35–36 degrees Celsius in recent days, dropped by 4 to 5 degrees following the rain.

Meteorologists said a cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea and a trough extending from Munnar to north interior Karnataka, and further towards Andhra Pradesh, contributed to the sudden weather change. These conditions triggered pre-monsoon activity across south interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru.

Senior weather expert Srinivasa Reddy said such atmospheric changes led to the sudden rain and hailstorm in the city.

Rain likely for next three days

The weather department has forecast similar conditions for the next three days, with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds expected. The city is likely to witness partly cloudy skies over the next 48 hours, with wind speeds reaching up to 40 kmph during evening and night.

On Wednesday, wind speeds in Bengaluru were estimated to have reached up to 50 kmph.

City turns white with hail

Large piles of hailstones were seen across several areas, giving parts of the city a snow-like appearance. Locations such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Richmond Road, Shantinagar, Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, Jayanagar, JP Nagar, Yeshwanthpur, Sheshadripuram, Malleswaram, Koramangala, Majestic, KR Market, Chamarajpet, Cottonpet and BTM Layout were among more than 36 areas that experienced hail accumulation.

Residents were seen touching and photographing the hailstones and sharing visuals on social media. The Catholic Club in Ashok Nagar was also covered in a layer of hail, resembling a snow-covered structure.