India, May 20 -- As heavy rain battered Bengaluru in the past two days, the India Meteorological Department has said that an upper air cyclonic circulation is likely to form over the east-central Arabian Sea off the Karnataka coast around May 21.

The weather office said that under the circulation's influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over it around May 22, move northwards and then further intensify.

The regional weather office also issued alerts for coastal Karnataka from May 20 to 26. The region has been placed under red alert for two days -- May 20 and 21 -- with a forecast of extremely heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning, squall and strong surface winds.

Coastal Karnataka is under yellow alert on May 23 and 24 as IMD...