Mangaluru : A holiday has been declared for schools and pre-university colleges in Dakshina Kannada district on Friday, with Red alert being declared in the Coastal Districts by India Meteorological Department, KSNMDC and Ocean Information and Forecast Services Group for the next two days, the Dakshina Kannada District administration has cautioned the public to be on the alert.

The district has been receiving heavy to moderate rainfall since Wednesday night and even on Thursday the skies were dark and cloudy indicating possibility of heavy showers later in the night. The intensity of the rain could be gauged from the fact that the last 24 hours, the district received 61mm of rainfall while the normal is just 6mm for the day in October month -the departure being 932%. In the last seven days, the district received 187mm as against the normal rainfall of 51 mm, a departure of 269%. According to KSNMDC, the first 24 days of the month this year, the district received 364 mm as against a normal of 212 mm of rainfall.

An IMD alert stated that heavy rains will keep lashing the coastal part with possibility of Cyclone Kyarr to form anytime soon. It stated the well-marked low pressure area, which was over east central Arabian Sea would gradually intensify into a depression anytime and by Friday, the system will start moving in Northwest direction while intensifying further into a Cyclone.

The alert also warned fishermen not to venture into east central Arabian Sea and along and off Karnataka coast during next 48 hours. Fishermen out in the Deep Sea have been advised to return to the coast. The Coastal Security Police said many boats had returned to anchorage and many were on their way back.

IMD forecast there would be light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places over coastal districts during next 24 hours and reduction in rainfall thereafter. It also forecast squally winds with speeds reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph over east central Arabian Sea and along and off north Karnataka coasts and 40 – 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph along and off south Karnataka coast. Latest Comment

The Marine Forecaster, Ocean State Forecast Team Ocean Information and Forecast Services Group, forecast that the sea condition was very likely to be rough to very rough over east central Arabian Sea and along and off north Karnataka coasts during next 24 hours. It also forecast significant wave height and swell height for coastal region into the ocean with high waves in the range of 3.0 – 3.8 meters up to 11.30pm of October 25 along the coast of Karnataka from Mangaluru to Karwar.

The Dakshina Kannada District administration has declared holiday for schools and Pre-University colleges on Friday in view of the red alert.