Schools, colleges shut in rain-hit coastal Karnataka

Bengaluru :  Schools and colleges have been shut in the coastal districts of Karnataka on Saturday due to heavy monsoon rains lashing the region, officials said.

The coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and south interior districts of Kodagu, Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru have been receiving heavy rainfall over the last few days due to an active Southwest monsoon in the state.

“All the schools and colleges in the district were given a holiday on Saturday as a precautionary measure due to heavy rains,” an official from Dakshina Kannada district Deputy Commissioner’s office told IANS over phone.

According to the data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada received an average of over seven cm rainfall.

The Southwest monsoon, which set in the southern state on June 4, has been causing widespread rains in coastal and south interior regions, IMD Bengaluru centre’s forecast-in-charge C.S. Patil told IANS earlier.

The pre-monsoon rains, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds, wrecked havoc in the state inundating low-lying areas, uprooting trees and snapping power lines and damaging roads in coastal, central and south interior districts over the last week.

The Met Office has also issued heavy rainfall alert in the coastal districts over the next few days.

“Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough over the Arabian Sea. Fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into sea off the Karnataka coast,” an IMD advisory said.

Moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to continue over coastal districts and south interior districts, it added.

The state capital Bengaluru has received light rainfall measuring upto three mm till 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. The weather office predicts light rainfall to continue in the city over the next few days.

 Published on: Jun 9, 2018 at 16:42 IST

IANS