Kerala is bracing for widespread rainfall in the first week of August with the likely formation of a low pressure area in the north Bay of Bengal by August 4. This is expected to aid the revival of the southwest monsoon.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which issued an extended range forecast for the region on Friday, said an increase in rainfall activity is expected over Kerala from August 3 due to a development in the Bay of Bengal region. In the following days, the low pressure could intensify over the northwest part of the bay off the Odisha coast, according to the forecast.
Cumulatively, above normal rainfall is likely over Kerala till August 6 and central and north Kerala are likely to receive above normal rainfall in the subsequent week, the IMD forecast indicated.
Yellow alert
Yellow alert has been issued for most of the districts for Saturday and Sunday and for all 14 districts on August 3 and August 4.
With the evolving weather scenario raising the spectre of floods, the State government has launched measures for tackling emergencies.
The IMD and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) are closely monitoring the developments, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said on Thursday.
However, if rainfall intensifies, disaster management could throw up tougher challenges this time given the spike in COVID-19 cases, particularly in coastal areas. Approximately 3,000 buildings have been identified across the State, including the coast, for potential use as relief camps, according to the KSDMA.
“Schools constitute almost 99% of the buildings. Now that the COVID first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) are operational, COVID-19-positive patients are being shifted to these centres. Other evacuees will be shifted to the buildings that have been identified,”' KSDMA member secretary Sekhar L. Kuriakose said.
Relief camps
As on Friday, 11 relief camps were functional in four districts.
Ernakulam and Kottayam, which experienced heavy rainfall on Wednesday, have four each, Pathanamthitta has two and Thiruvananthapuram, one.
In all, 349 people have been accommodated in these camps.
Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are currently stationed in the State for handling monsoon-related emergencies. Kerala has asked for 10 teams in all.
