The lives of many people in the southern Indian city of Bangalore were disrupted on Tuesday (6/9), after two days of heavy rain. The rains caused long traffic jams, widespread power cuts and massive flooding that submerged homes and streets.

Videos circulating on social media show people being forced to take tractors to work while parts of the city are still under water. Many schools were closed on Monday due to heavy rains and authorities warned of disruptions to water supplies. Boats have been deployed to rescue those overwhelmed by the floods.

The city, dubbed the tech capital of India, is home to several major tech companies. Several offices were closed and employees were forced to work from home.

While September is usually the wettest month in Bangalore, this year it received more rain than usual.

The two areas that make up the city, Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural, experience excess rainfall of 141% and 114%, respectively. On Monday evening, 131.6mm of rain was recorded, making it the wettest September day in eight years.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Karnataka, the state where Bengaluru is located, is among the regions that receive the maximum rainfall this year. The state has received 34% more rain in the past three months than it normally receives all year.

Although there is no direct link between excessive rainfall in Bengaluru and climate change, there is growing evidence that the monsoon, the most important weather system in the Indian subcontinent, is undergoing changes in due to climatic stress. Scientists say this makes extreme weather events like excessive rainfall the new normal. [ab/uh]