A red warning was issued in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts for two days starting on Wednesday after heavy rainfall was predicted in the Malnad region of Karnataka.
An orange warning was issued in the three coastal districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, as well as Hassan district. The warnings were issued by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).
Meanwhile, moderate rains with strong winds were predicted in Bengaluru.
"Heavy rains are expected in parts of Karnataka because of an off-shore trough. A depression in northwest Bay of Bengal is pulling humid westerlies associated with the offshore trough," Sunil Gavaskar, a meteorologist with the KSNDMC, stated. A trough is a region of low barometric pressure.
Nodal officials in all seven districts which are located in coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka have been asked to stay alert and monitor the situation.
The warnings come a month after floods and landslides displaced over 4 lakh people in Karnataka. The disaster affected all seven districts where alerts have currently been issued.
In Kodagu, two major landslides struck in early August. Only a year earlier in 2018, devastating landslides had struck the region. Landslides were also reported in Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka while Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts reported heavy floods.
Relief camps, which were opened last month, have been closed except those in Kodagu district. Authorities in Kodagu managed to shift people in vulnerable areas ahead of the monsoon and later opened 45 rehabilitation centers when the rains intensified last month. Only one rehabilitation center currently remains open in Nellihudikeri in the district.
Schools and colleges in Kodagu district will be closed for the next two days. Heavy rainfall was reported in Kodagu on Tuesday and blocking off roads leading to Bhagamandala.
"While there has been little rainfall in the district so far, we are monitoring reservoir levels in the district. We want to ensure that even if there is heavy rainfall, we can give sufficient warning to residents in catchment areas," said Harish Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Uttara Kannada.