Known for its mild climate, Bengaluru is witnessing unusually high temperatures this year. Across Karnataka, including Bengaluru, coastal, and north interior regions, minimum temperatures have remained above average.
While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) clarified that this does not signal an early summer or climate shift, officials warned that the heatwave-like conditions will persist for over a week. Bengaluru Met Centre head, N. Puviarasan, attributed the warming trend to easterly winds. “Typically, this period sees cooler northeasterly winds. However, anticyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal has altered wind patterns, causing easterly winds to flow towards South India,” he explained. He emphasized that this rise is a regional phenomenon and not directly linked to climate change.
IMD data indicates minimum temperatures will be 3-5°C above normal in coastal Karnataka and 2-4°C higher in interior parts. On Sunday, Bengaluru recorded a high of 33.2°C, 1.4°C above normal, while HAL Airport and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) logged 33°C and 32.8°C, exceeding norms by 1.7°C and 1.5°C, respectively. Minimum temperatures were also above normal—HAL at 18.5°C, Bengaluru city at 19.7°C, and KIA at 19.3°C.
Historically, Bengaluru’s highest February temperature was 35.9°C on February 17, 2005. IMD forecasts partly cloudy skies with morning mist or fog, with temperatures around 33°C (max) and 19°C (min) through Tuesday.
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