Several districts in Karnataka were battered by intense rainfall on Thursday morning, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue critical weather alerts and leading authorities to enforce precautionary measures, including the closure of educational institutions.
IMD Alerts and District-Wide Impact
The IMD sounded an orange alert, indicating very heavy rainfall of 11 to 20 cm, and a yellow alert for heavy rain between 6 and 11 cm in various parts of the state. The alerts were activated for districts including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Kalaburagi, and Bidar.
In Bidar district, overnight downpours in Aurad taluk caused water to overflow onto several bridges. The Dadagi bridge in Badalgaon-Chondimukhed within Bhalki taluk was completely closed to traffic. A stream at Narayanpur village in Aurad taluk was also reported to be in spate. Responding to the situation, Bidar Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma declared a holiday for schools and colleges in the affected zones as a safety precaution.
Coastal Karnataka on High Alert
With the IMD issuing an orange alert for Dakshina Kannada district, the local administration announced a holiday on Thursday, August 28, for all anganwadi centres, primary and high schools, government-aided and private institutions, and pre-university colleges in taluks such as Mangaluru, Puttur, Mulki, Moodbidri, Ullal, and Bantwal.
The district administration issued specific advisories:
- Parents are urged to keep children away from low-lying areas, lakes, seashores, and riversides.
- Fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea.
- Taluk-level officers must remain at their headquarters.
- Nodal officers are to stay alert for public complaints.
- Tahsildars are directed to maintain constant contact with the administration.
Weather Forecast and Recorded Rainfall
The Meteorological Centre in Bengaluru forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching 30 to 40 kmph at isolated places over the next three hours. The IMD cautioned about possible temporary power disruptions, minor traffic snarls, and the uprooting of weak tree branches.
The public has been advised to:
- Stay indoors and secure doors and windows.
- Avoid unnecessary travel.
- Unplug electrical appliances.
- Seek safe shelter away from trees or water bodies.
- Drive with extreme caution if travel is essential.
Rainfall data between 8:30 am on August 27 and 5:30 am on August 28 highlights the intensity:
- Mangaluru AP: 106.6 mm
- Gadag: 70.1 mm
- Bengaluru HAL AP: 28.2 mm
- Agumbe: 108.5 mm
- Tidagundi (Vijayapura): 46.5 mm
Data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) confirmed extremely heavy rainfall in coastal Karnataka. The IMD has warned that intermittent rainfall with thunder, lightning, and strong winds may continue in isolated pockets across the state for the next few hours.
