The heavy rainfall over north and central Kerala districts abated somewhat on Friday, but the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that rainfall is likely to be fairly widespread over the State till Tuesday, prompting the government to step up arrangements to handle emergencies.
Nine people have died so far in monsoon-related incidents in the State since July 3, according to government data. No death was reported on Friday, but three people were injured in rainfall-related incidents in Idukki and Malappuram.
Since July 3, four people have died in Idukki and two each in Kannur and Kasaragod. One person has been reported missing in Kozhikode district. A 60-year-old woman in Kannur, identified as Rabiya, died after a coconut tree fell on her on Thursday evening.
As on Friday, 23 families (69 individuals including children) have so far been relocated to five camps in Alappuzha, Thrissur, and Ernakulam districts. Thirteen houses were partially damaged in the rainfall on Friday.
With the southwest monsoon gaining strength, strong tidal waves are wreaking havoc along the coastal belt of Alappuzha. A scene from Neerkunnam, near Amabalappuzha on Friday. | Photo Credit: SURESH ALLEPPEY
Revenue Minister K. Rajan said the government was fully prepared to tackle contingencies, given the rainfall warning issued by the IMD for the State. As many as 3,071 buildings had been identified for opening relief camps, the Minister, who reviewed the arrangements at an online meeting with District Collectors, said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has placed one team each on standby in Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Idukki districts.
Kerala can expect fairly widespread rainfall and thunderstorms with isolated heavy rainfall till Tuesday, the IMD said. The monsoon trough is active and south of its normal position. An offshore trough extends from the Gujarat coast to the Karnataka coast, while a cyclonic circulation persists over the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts.
All districts except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta are on yellow alert for isolated heavy rainfall (6.4 cm to 11.5 cm in 24 hours) on Saturday.
By mid-July, a fresh cyclonic circulation is likely to form over central Bay of Bengal and intensify into a low pressure area off the Odisha coast. But the system will have a low probability for further intensification, the IMD said.
The remnant of this system is likely to emerge into northeast Arabian Sea subsequently and intensify marginally into a low pressure area/well marked low pressure area, according to an extended range forecast released by the IMD on Friday.
