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Cyclonic circulation likely over Arabian sea off Karnataka coast on May 21: IMD
Amid the chances of a cyclonic storm, the IMD has placed coastal Karnataka under red alert for May 20 and 21, forecasting heavy rain, thunderstorm & lightning.
As heavy rain battered Bengaluru in the past two days, the India Meteorological Department has said that an upper air cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the east-central Arabian Sea off the Karnataka coast around May 21.
The weather office said that under the circulation's influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over it around May 22, move northwards and then further intensify.
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The regional weather office also issued alerts for coastal Karnataka from May 20 to 26. The region has been placed under red alert for two days -- May 20 and 21 -- with a forecast of extremely heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning, squall and strong surface winds.
Coastal Karnataka is under yellow alert on May 23 and 24 as IMD predicted heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds for the region.
Karnataka weather: Orange alert in some parts
An orange alert has been issued for the coastal areas of the state for May 22, 25, and 26. Very heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning is expected on May 22, while the weekend might witness very heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, the torrential downpour in Karnataka led to the loss of three lives in Bengaluru and one each in Raichur and Karwar. The total death toll in rain-related incidents in the state stood at five on Tuesday.
Two persons, aged 63 and 12 years, lost their lives due to electrocution at Madhuvan Apartment in NS Palya near BTM 2nd Stage. Another person, a 35-year-old housekeeping employee at a software firm in Mahadevapura, lost her life in a wall collapse on the company premises.
Officials said that two people died of lightning in Raichur and Karwar.
Bengaluru rain
In the last 24 hours, the IMD said that Bengaluru received 30 mm rain and on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday morning, the city recorded 105 mm rain.
Bengaluru was placed on orange alert on Tuesday. IMD city centre director N Puviarasu said, "The amount of rainfall we are receiving is nothing for rural areas. But because cities like Bengaluru are concretised mostly, and thus blocking the outlets for water drainage, we have issued an orange alert so that authorities can prepare accordingly."
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The areas likely to be affected in the city on Tuesday are Bagalkot, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Belgaum, Chikkaballapura, Dharwad, Gadag, Kolar, Koppal, Vijayanagara districts.
Southwest monsoon in Kerala
The IMD has said that the southwest monsoon is likely to arrive in Kerala during the next four to five days, much earlier than the usual June 1 arrival.
If it so happens, then it will be the earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when monsoon began on May 23, as per IMD data.
“Conditions are also likely to become favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon over some more parts of South Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Maldives and Comorin area, some parts of Lakshadweep area, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, some more parts South and Central Bay of Bengal, Northeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of northeastern states during the same period,” the IMD said.
