Cyclone Arnab will spare Karnataka, bringing only isolated rain as it heads toward Andhra Pradesh. The IMD issued a yellow alert for strong surface winds in South Interior Karnataka on October 27 and 28. Meanwhile, the state continues to face a dry spell, with October rainfall 32 per cent below normal.
Cyclone Arnab, which is developing over the Bay of Bengal, is expected to have limited impact on Karnataka, with only isolated spells of rainfall in the state, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD, however, has issued a yellow alert for South Interior Karnataka districts on October 27 and 28, and for North Interior Karnataka districts on October 28 and 29. The warning is for strong surface winds at isolated places in the region.
Cyclone Arnab is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm Tuesday and make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast Wednesday.
Conditions are expected to remain dry in the state after the landfall.
After a failed monsoon season, rainfall has been below par during the ongoing Northeast Monsoon season. As of October 25, rainfall in October was 32 per cent below normal. Against a long-term average of 114 mm, Karnataka has received 78 mm between October 1 and 25.
The state had received deficit rainfall in all four months of the monsoon season. In September, the deficit was 54 per cent as the state received an average of 74 mm against the normal of 161 mm.
Among the state's regions, drought conditions have intensified in North Interior Karnataka. It received 14 mm in October against a normal of 96 m, resulting in a large deficit of 85 per cent.
Bengaluru Urban is among the 10 districts receiving normal rainfall during the period, having received 126 mm against a normal of around 136 mm.