New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heavy rain alert on Sunday for several districts across the country, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu, due to Cyclone Shakti, effective from October 3 to 7.

"Heavy to very heavy rainfall with possibility of exceptionally heavy rainfall likely over North Bihar & extremely heavy rainfall over East Uttar Pradesh & Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim," the Met Department said in its daily forecast report.

It also said that a well-marked low-pressure area will bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in sub-Himalayan West Bengal until Monday morning, while issuing a red warning for the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and ...