Bengaluru,  Forecasting widespread rainfall in most parts of the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a red alert in coastal Karnataka, orange alert in four districts, and yellow alert in 12 districts in Karnataka for July 10 and 11.

According to IMD Bengaluru's director, C.S. Patil, red alert has been issued in coastal Karnataka comprising three districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, while Orange alert is issued in districts of Malnad region - Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga districts and Yellow alert in Chamarajanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Bidar, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri districts of Karnataka.

Patil said that red alert defines very heavy rains, orange alert defines isolated very heavy rains and Yellow alert defines isolated heavy rains.

He added that with the strengthening of the southwest monsoon over the Arabian sea, the formation of a low-pressure area over west-central and adjoining north-west of the Bay of Bengal by July 11 will intensify the monsoon in Karnataka.

Apart from this, the IMD had also forecast that rain and thundershowers are very likely to occur in most places of coastal Karnataka, south-interior Karnataka and many places in the north-interior Karnataka.

The weather department, in its forecast for fishermen, has advised them not to venture into the sea as the winds are likely to intensify in the state's coastal area. "Strong winds with speeds reaching 40-50 Kmph gusting to 60 kmph are likely over the Karnataka coast," he said.