Karnataka received 1.2 mm rainfall against a normal of 3.7 mm till February 21. Hot and humid conditions are expected to prevail in Karnataka with chances of scattered rainfall in parts of the state during the next two weeks. As per forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), maximum temperatures are likely to be three to five degree Celsius above normal over the north peninsular India region, including parts of Karnataka.
Temperature recordings by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) showed that maximum temperatures in the third week of February hovered above the 35-degree Celsius mark in most districts. The dry northern districts such as Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, and Yadgir registered maximum temperatures of around 37.5 degree Celsius. The maximum temperature recorded in Bengaluru Urban during the period was 34.8 degree Celsius.
In a recent meeting of a Cabinet sub-committee, held to discuss the upcoming summer and monsoon seasons, it was noted that average temperatures in Karnataka were about 2.5 degree Celsius above normal in February. Although a dip in maximum temperatures was forecast for the last week of February. IMD extended-range forecasts indicate that pre-monsoon showers could hit the state only after the first week of March. However, according to forecasts, above-normal pre-monsoon rainfall is expected ahead of the monsoon season that starts in June. In the meanwhile, trace amounts of rainfall are being recorded in isolated pockets of interior and coastal Karnataka districts.
It can be noted that Karnataka receives an average of around 4-5 mm of rainfall during the first two months of the year. In 2025, until February 21, Karnataka as a whole received 1.2 mm rainfall against a normal of 3.7 mm. Though water scarcity worsened the drought conditions in the summer of 2024, reservoirs in Karnataka currently hold 535.21 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water – which is around 60 per cent of the total capacity. In contrast, water levels at reservoirs during the third week of February last year was 332.52 TMC.
