Several districts of Karnataka are expected to experience heavy rains and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday predicted showers across Karnataka over the next two days due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea.

 

"Moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms with lightning will occur in many areas in coastal and interior parts of the state over the next 48 hours due to low pressure in the Arabian Sea," the IMD said in a statement.

 

The weather office has alerted the state government of widespread rains in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada along the coast, besides Ballari, Bengaluru, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Davangere, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagar, Shivamogga, and Tumakuru on Friday and Saturday.

 

In a press release on Thursday the IMD said that there is going to be heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on Friday, heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places on Saturday, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places on Sunday and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on Monday.

 

"Rains during the next 2-3 days under the influence of the system will precede a depression that will intensify into a cyclonic storm by the weekend and move north-west towards Gujarat on the following days," it said.

 

The department has also advised fishermen against venturing into the high sea due to rough conditions and heavy rainfall.

 

The Indian Coast Guard on Wednesday advised the state's fishermen to return to the shores from the high seas by Saturday, as the deep depression is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' by Sunday due to favourable atmospheric conditions.

 

Tauktae, which means 'gecko' in Burmese, will be the first cyclone of this year.

 

"The well-marked low-pressure area is likely to concentrate into a depression over the region and intensify into a cyclone during the subsequent 24 hours," the IMD added.

 

On Wednesday, several parts of Bengaluru experienced moderate rains from the evening through the night.