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Orange alert issued for Bengaluru on May 18 as heavy rains predicted
An orange alert has been issued for Bengaluru by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The alert has been issued to rural and urban Bengaluru with very heavy rains predicted in isolated places on Wednesday, May 18. IMD had earlier, on Tuesday, predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the next five days.
The IMD, in its bulletin, stated that coastal and south interior Karnataka is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning. The IMD has said that there is a cyclonic circulation over the Lakshadweep area in the middle-tropospheric levels, and another cyclonic circulation lies over the north Tamil Nadu coast in the lower tropospheric levels. These cyclonic circulations and strong lower level westerly flow from the Arabian Sea are likely to cause rains in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the IMD also said that the southwest monsoon has advanced into the Andaman and Nicobar islands, signalling the start of the four-month seasonal rains that are crucial to the largely agri-dependent economy. The Andaman and Nicobar islands and adjoining areas have been experiencing rainfall due to strengthening south-westerly winds in the lower tropospheric levels, the weather office said.
The IMD added that conditions are favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon into some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, the entire Andaman Sea and the Andaman Islands as well as some parts of east-central Bay of Bengal over the next two-three days.
Last week, the weather office had said that the southwest monsoon was expected to reach Kerala by May 27, a good five days before the normal onset date of June 1, due to favourable weather conditions triggered by remnants of Cyclone Asani.