IMD warns of more rain in western India, N-K'taka

The spell of intense rainfall in Kerala, parts of Karnataka and the Western Ghats is likely to ebb from Friday, but the sky would open up in north Karnataka and large tracts of central and western India, the met office has warned.

“Rainfall is likely at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over north interior Karnataka in the next 24 hours,” India Meteorological Department said in a warning message on Thursday. Parts of Telengana may also receive isolated heavy rainfall.

“The ongoing intense rainfall activity over Kerala, Karnataka and Ghat areas of Tamil Nadu is likely to reduce from Friday,” the met office said.

Large tracts of central India including Vidarbha, Marathwada, Madhya Maharashtra and north Konkan will experience extremely heavy rainfall in the next 24-48 hours because of a depression that had formed over coastal Odisha a day before and now moved inland.

Currently lying over south Chhattishgarh and adjoining parts of Vidarbha, the depression is set to lose a bit of its strength to turn into a well-marked low pressure zone by Friday.

But people in those two states would still face squall wind with a speed of 35-45 km per hour gusting to 55 kmph.

In addition, the same low pressure zone would trigger widespread precipitation across central and western India, and north Karnataka districts.

Gujarat too is set to receive rainfall at most places in the next 24 hours, particularly in Saurashtra and Kutch regions.

In the next two days, rough to very rough sea conditions are likely to prevail over along Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala coasts as well as in west central and southwest Arabian Sea and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.

Earlier this month, IMD predicted a marginal dip in the monsoon rainfall in the second half of the season with 95% of average rainfall in August and September. The good rainfall trend experienced in the first two months, is expected to continue.