Karnataka rains: IMD issues orange alert for Bengaluru, schools shut today

Bengaluru, Nov 18: Schools from class 1 to class 10 and Anganavadis, play homes will remain closed tomorrow in Bengaluru Urban district due to incessant rainfall.

In Bengaluru, several areas saw waterlogging and people were confined to their homes following rains. Water gushed into houses in low lying areas of the city. Owing to heavy downpour, roads wore a deserted look as there was hardly any vehicular movement.

India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Bengaluru city on Thursday. The city has been witnessing heavy rains for more than a fortnight and meteorologists have predicted rainfall for the next 48 to 72 hours in many parts of the state.

Karnataka to have widespread rainfall over next 4 days. Yellow alerts issued in some districts of coastal Karnataka & north-interior Karnataka for today and tomorrow. Orange alert in South interior parts. Orange alert in Bengaluru and Ghats," said S Adiga, Meteorologist, IMD Bengaluru.

According to the IMD, the low pressure area over southwest and adjoining west central bay of Bengal off North Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coasts has concentrated into a depression over southwest Bay of Bengal off North Tamil Nadu coast. There is another low pressure area over east central Arabian Sea off Maharashtra coast moved west - North west ward and lay over east central Arabian sea.

The weather department predicted rain or thundershowers at most places over coastal Karnataka, south interior Karnataka and at many places over north interior Karnataka. It has forecast heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Bengaluru Rural, Bangalore Urban, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Kolar, Mandya, Ramnagara and Chickballapura districts of South Interior Karnataka. It also said heavy rains were likely to occur at isolated places over Mysuru and Chamrajanagara districts.

Karnataka Department of Public Instruction writes to all district commissioners (DCs), asking them to close schools for class 1 to class 10 tomorrow, if necessary, in view of incessant rainfall.

A Red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while Orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rains.

A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.