The heavy spell of rain that has been lashing the State, combined with coastal erosion for the past four days, has claimed as many as six lives so far and caused widespread damage to property, forcing several district administrations to relocate scores of families to relief camps.
The body of a 22-year-old man, identified as Akhil, son of Kalathiparambil Thankan, Devikulam, in Idukki, who went missing while fishing was retrieved by Fire and Rescue Services personnel on Thursday.
Blocks of huge rocks fell onto the Adimali-Kumily stretch of the National Highway near Kallarkutty from the upper part of the road, blocking the traffic for a while.
In Kozhikode, a search was underway to trace a 17-year-old boy who went missing at the Pathankayam waterfalls, Thamarassery, on Monday.
Four new camps were opened after the rain gained strength, taking the number of camps operational in the State to 12.
In Thiruvananthapuram, two shutters of the Aruvikkara dam and four shutters of the Neyyar dam were opened following a rise in inflow to the reservoirs.
In Alappuzha, three families at Ambalappuzha taluk were shifted to relief camps following rough seas.
In Thrissur, an orange alert was issued in the Poringalkuthu dam, while two shutters of the Poomala dam were opened in the wake of heavy rain. The residents in the Veerankudi colony in Malakkapara were shifted to the Malakkappara community hall after fears of landslips.
In Malappuram, 26 families in Ponnani taluk were shifted to the houses of their relatives after the coastal areas were hit by strong sea erosion. A 13-year-old boy, Muhammed Migdad, drowned at the Ramanchira rivulet in Kondotty.
A holiday has been declared for all educational institutions in Kannur and Kasaragod districts and Devaikulam taluk in Idukki owing to the rain alert.
Meanwhile, Muliyar in Kasaragod and Chemberi in Kannur recorded the highest rainfall of 11 cm each in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Thursday, followed by Kudulu, Irikkur, Kakkayam, Padinjarathara Dam and Munnar with 8 cm each.
The weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department sounded an yellow alert across the State except Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam on Friday warning of isolated heavy rain.
An off-shore trough at mean sea level runs from the South Maharashtra coast to the North Kerala coast. Further, a cyclonic circulation lies over the northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal off the south Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts and extends up to upper tropospheric levels tilting southwestwards with height.
Under the combined influence of the weather systems, the State is likely to experience heavy showers till July 11, the bulletin said. In addition, the wind conditions were above normal in the Arabian Sea and high waves and rough sea conditions are expected along the entire coast of Kerala till Friday midnight.
