Hundreds of schools and colleges were shut on Tuesday due to heavy rainfall in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru districts in Karnataka as the southwest monsoon advanced vigorously, officials said. "Schools and colleges in four taluks (sub-districts) of Chikkamagaluru have been given a holiday for the safety of students as heavy rains have been inundating several low-lying areas," an official from the Chikkamagaluru Deputy Commissioner's Office told IANS.

Some areas of Chikkamagaluru district in Malnad region, about 280 km from here, have received very heavy rainfall measuring up to 13 cm till Tuesday morning, the Bengaluru centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on its website.

River Bhadra, which originates from Chikkamagaluru, was seen overflowing and flooding the low-lying areas along its course. Schools and colleges were also closed in parts of coffee-growing Kodagu district, about 270 km from here which has witnessed heavy monsoon over the last few days.

"Holiday has been declared for educational institutions in the low-lying taluks of the district. Though most of the district is receiving moderate to heavy rainfall, the district administration is constantly monitoring the situation to take necessary measures," an official from Kodagu district's Deputy Commissioner's Office said.

The pilgrim town of Bhagamandala in Kodagu district received rainfall as high as 17 cm, according to the IMD's data on Tuesday morning. The coastal districts of Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada and interior districts of Hassan and Shivamogga also continued to receive moderate to heavy rains leading to flooding of roads and affecting normal life.

The rains, accompanied by gusty winds, wreaked havoc uprooting trees and snapping power lines over the past week. "Owing to the heavy rains, train service from Bengaluru to Karwar in Uttara Kannada has been diverted via Palakkad in Kerala," Deputy General Manager of South Western Railway E. Vijaya told IANS. Bus services to the districts have been largely unaffected but were plying with delays, officials said.