11.   Meteorological officials have forecast regular downpours until the end of February.

12.   Meteorological officials said the flooding was caused by a low pressure area building up in the southern part of the country.

13.   Meteorological officials have forecast regular downpours for the next month.

14.   Most areas received rain during the weekend, and meteorological officials said widespread rains were set to continue through Wednesday.

15.   The Kursk went down far above the Arctic Circle, but the sea was free of icebergs, said meteorological officials in nearby Norway.

16.   The Tamil Nadu coast was last hit by a severe cyclone more than two decades ago, meteorological officials said.

17.   In Binh Thuan province, where hundreds more observed the eclipse in clear conditions, roosters were fooled into crowing at mid-day, a meteorological official said by telephone.

18.   A meteorological official Sunday said the wet spell was triggered by the northeast monsoonal disturbance and could continue until mid-January.

19.   Torrential rain swept the arid Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain for the second straight day on Tuesday, meteorological officials said.

20.   Meteorological officials could not be immediately reached for comment on the magnitude of the quake.