Extremely heavy rains predicted in Kerala, dry weather in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red alert' for extremely heavy rainfall for Kerala's three districts on Saturday, while dry weather conditions prevailed in Delhi for the eleventh consecutive day.
The Met Department said low-pressure brewing over the Bay of Bengal is likely to trigger rainfall across West Bengal from Sunday.
Uttar Pradesh witnessed light to moderate rains at isolated places over the state, it said.
In Kerala, the IMD issued 'red alert' for extremely heavy rains for Idukki, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
A low pressure area is likely to develop over the North East Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood around September 20 and under its influence widespread rains with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are likely over Kerala during September 19-21, it said.
Several parts of the state have been receiving heavy rains in the past few days.
Vadakara in Kozhikode received 10 cm rain, while Hosdurg (Kasaragod) recorded 9 cm and Taliparambu in Kannur and Kudulu in Kasaragod received 7 cm each as per the weather report this morning.
An orange alert (a warning indicating heavy to very heavy rain) has been issued for eight districts on Saturday and six on Sunday.
In view of the alerts, the Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters, Police, Fire Force, are all ready to swing into action in case of any emergency requests, sources said.
In districts where the red and orange alerts have been issued, people living in disaster-prone areas would be shifted to camps as a precautionary measure.
In Delhi, there has been no rainfall for 11 days which has pushed the mercury up over the last few days.
The last time the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded any rainfall (1.3 mm) was on September 8.
On Saturday, the maximum temperature ranged between 36 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius in most parts of the city.
The national capital has recorded 78 per cent less rainfall in September so far, according to the IMD.
In West Bengal, the low-pressure area is likely to move northwards into Gangetic West Bengal, causing heavy rain in the coastal and adjoining districts of East Midnapore, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Kolkata and Hooghly, the Met Department said.
The system is likely to cause heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places in Birbhum, East and West Midnapore and Jhargram districts, and heavy rain over the other districts of south Bengal from Monday.
The rainfall is likely to continue till Wednesday, it said.
The MeT Department has forecast light to moderate thunderstorm accompanied with lightning very likely at isolated places over the state on September 22.