Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 11: Monsoon entered Karnataka coast on a grand scale on Monday June 10. Almost the entire coastal region of the state experienced cloudy weather and continuous rainfall in the form of drizzle which acquired intensity on intermittent intervals. The rain continued during the night too.

Light rain began to soak the coast since about 10 am on Monday. In several places, strong breeze was experienced. Sea erosion near Ullal worsened and water was found gushing even by crossing the protective wall. The meteorological department has predicted Karnataka and Gujarat coasts to get heavy rainfall during the next few days as the depression in atmospheric pressure over the Arabian Sea is expected to transform into a cyclone.

As the cyclone will pass about 500 to 600 km away from Karnataka coast, its impact on the state may not be immense, the department said. However, because of strong wind with a velocity of 60 to 80 km per hour which will pound the seashore, the sea will become turbulent. Director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Dr G S Srinivas Reddy, said that the rainfall is expected to increase during the next two days in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts.
Kerala has also been receiving heavy rains. Three persons from that state died due to rain-related incidents. After severed power line fell on a road inundated in water, two persons including a woman were electrocuted. In the other incident, a person died and two were injured after a tree got uprooted on them.

In Karnataka, two persons died due to lightning. Somanna Adappa (28), a shepherd from Gurugunta village in Lingasugur taluk lost his life due to lightning. Venkatesh (58), a farmer from near Konandur in Thirthahalli taluk died after lightning struck him when he was busy in agricultural activities.