IMD downgrades rainfall alert in south interior Karnataka from 'very heavy' to 'heavy'
PTI May 22, 2025 01:40 AM
Synopsis

After several days of heavy rain, Bengaluru saw mostly cloudy skies on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) downgraded rainfall forecasts for Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Dakshina Kannada from "very heavy" to "heavy," with the red alert now only active for Uttara Kannada due to landslide risks.

After days of relentless rain, Bengaluru experienced mostly overcast skies on Wednesday. In a related development, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) downgraded its forecast for Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Dakshina Kannada from "very heavy" to "heavy" rainfall. These three southern interior Karnataka districts were among the seven that were issued a red alert on May 20. A red alert indicates extremely heavy rainfall of over 204.5 mm within 24 hours.

"Now, the red alert remains only for Uttara Kannada. Although a couple of places may still see very heavy rainfall, the alert is more about the impact. Due to continuous heavy rainfall, the soil is saturated and may lead to landslides," said Latha Sridhar, D-category scientist at the IMD Bengaluru Centre.

Although both Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural recorded no rain, a yellow warning remains in place for the IT hub, primarily because the city is still reeling from the impact of continuous rain over the past few days.

According to the IMD, a yellow alert indicates heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

"Bengaluru may witness light rain in a few places at night. But for the next two to three days, we expect only cloudy skies," Sridhar added.

She said the department would decide tomorrow on issuing alerts to various regions of Karnataka.

"The two low-pressure systems over the Arabian Sea, which had caused heavy rainfall along the north Karnataka and Goa coasts, are moving northwards. Tomorrow, we will have a clearer picture," said Sridhar.
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