In response to severe downpours, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heavy rain advisory, forcing the closure of schools and institutions in the states of Goa, Kerala, and Karnataka.
The government of Goa has proclaimed vacations for all schools up to Class 12, citing the three days of nonstop, intense rain. With student safety being the top priority, State Education Director Shailesh Zingde said that all schools, from Classes 1 through 12, will be closed on Monday.
Because of the intense rains, the Kerala government has also proclaimed a vacation for schools in several districts. While colleges in Kasargod will remain open, educational institutions in Wayanad, Kannur, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Malappuram will remain closed today.
For the districts of Malappuram, Kannur, and Kasaragod, the IMD has issued a red alert; for Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, and Wayanad, it has issued an orange alert.
The district of Uttara Kannada in Karnataka has been particularly hard hit. Due to a red warning issued by the IMD, Deputy Commissioner Laxmipriya ordered a vacation for all schools and PU colleges in the taluks of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honnavar, Bhatkal, Sirsi, Siddapur, Yellapur, Dandeli, and Joida.
With 220 mm of rain, Castle Rock in Uttara Kannada had the most rainfall on Sunday.
The current off-shore trough along the coast of Maharashtra and north Kerala, as well as a cyclonic circulation over the west-central Bay of Bengal off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, are blamed for the heavy rains that have fallen in Karnataka.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) says that this weather trend is directing additional precipitation into Karnataka, creating intense monsoon conditions.
In anticipation of further intense rain, the IMD has issued a red alert for the Uttara Kannada district, effective from 1 pm on July 14 to 8:30 pm on July 16.
(With contributions from PTI)
