Four districts, including Idukki and Wayanad, should brace for extremely heavy rainfall on Saturday, a Friday evening forecast of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Thrissur and Palakkad too can expect extremely heavy rainfall (above 20.4 cm in 24 hours), the national weather agency, which has put all four districts under red alert for Saturday, said.
Widespread heavy rainfall is likely to continue in most other districts as well. Orange alerts have been issued for eight districts where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely: Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod. On Sunday, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
An extended range forecast of the IMD for the region issued on Friday reiterated that another low pressure area could form over the westcentral and northwest part of the Bay of Bengal by Sunday.
However, it is not likely to intensify further. Indications are that the southwest monsoon is expected to enter a lull by Monday.
“The monsoon is expected to exit the current vigorous phase by Monday. Under the influence of the low pressure area which could form by Sunday, isolated heavy rainfall is likely in northern districts such as Kannur and Kasaragod on Monday and Tuesday, according to K. Santhosh, Director, Met Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
A low pressure area that has formed in the north-east Arabian sea adjoining Kutch and south Pakistan is not expected to influence rainfall activity over Kerala.
Seventeen dams managed by the Irrigation Department and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) across the State are currently discharging water.
