Bengaluru, Mysuru and a few other places in southern Karnataka are expected to receive rain showers this week due to the influence of cyclone Gaja, set to make landfall in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has predicted cloudy weather with light rains in Bengaluru on November 16.
"The cyclone is expected to cross Puducherry and Chennai on November 14. When it crosses parts of Tamil Nadu, it is likely to bring rains in Karnataka including in Bengaluru. As per the current forecast, scattered and moderate rains are expected in the city," said Sunil Gavaskar, a meteorologist at the KSNDMC.
The disaster monitoring organisation further played down the effect of the cyclone on the city. "The light to moderate rain showers are expected only on 17th. There might be light rains again on 22-24 November, The effect is very light. We are not expecting heavy rains," clarified Subha Avinash, a hydrologist with the KSNDMC.
The rainfall in the state has been linked to the drop in the air pressure in the region likely to occur as cyclone passes.
Cyclone Gaja is set to make landfall on the Tamil Nadu coast on Wednesday and comes after a depression over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone was centered about 740 km east-northeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 840 km east-northeast of Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu) on Monday.
The 'cyclone effect' is expected to extend to southern Karnataka, including the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. However, the brunt of the cyclone will be faced by Tamil Nadu. Parts of southern Tamil Nadu are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall.