Heavy rainfall predicted in Kerala, Karnataka

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that states such as Kerala and Karnataka are expected to receive heavy downpour today.

The weather body predicted that areas such as Assam, Meghalaya, Konkan, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal are also likely to receive heavy rainfall.

IMD also predicted "heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Bihar, East Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema, North Interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep."

"Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is very likely at isolated places over north Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim," IMD stated in its all-India weather bulletin.

Strong winds, with speed reaching 40-50 kmph, are likely to prevail over south Bay of Bengal and southwest and central Arabian Sea.

IMD said that rough to very rough sea conditions are expected to prevail along and off Goa-Karnataka-Kerala and south Tamilnadu coasts and Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into these areas for the next few days.