New Delhi, May 24 -- The India Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rainfall warning for several southern and western states - including Kerala and Karnataka - which are set to welcome the southwest monsoon. A red alert has also been sounded for Goa, forecasting heavy downpours until Sunday. Heavy showers lashed parts of the coastal state in the past 24 hours.

The weatherman, in its forecast, also predicted heavy rainfall for three days - from May 25 to 27. The weather is expected to turn cloudy from Saturday, with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms continuing until Monday.

The southern states are expected to witness the onset of the southwest monsoon simultaneously, driven by a well-marked low-pressure area over the A...