Red alerts for five districts as heavy rain batters Kerala

India Meteorological Department forecast says heavy rainfall likely to continue in most districts at least till Friday

TOPSHOT - Passengers walk on waterlogged rail tracks at Ernakulam Junction station in Kochi in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala on October 21, 2019. (Photo by STR / AFP)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alerts, signalling extremely heavy rainfall, for five districts for Tuesday with the northeast monsoon getting active over the region and a low pressure area over the Arabian Sea poised to intensify. Orange alerts have been issued for eight other districts.

Red alerts (above 20.4 cm of rainfall in 24 hours) have been issued for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram.

Orange alerts, signalling isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall, have been issued for Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

Yellow alerts have been issued for Thiruvananthapuram where isolated heavy rainfall is expected.

Heavy rainfall is likely to continue in the State at least till Friday, according to the IMD.

Relief camps

As many as 1,380 families (3,506 people) have been shifted to 16 camps in four districts following rainfall-related incidents.

Eleven camps have been opened in Ernakulam, three in Kollam, two each in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam and one each in Alappuzha and Palakkad.

Four houses have been destroyed in the rain havoc while 30 were damaged.

As per a 5.30 p.m. reading, Punalur received 23 mm rainfall on Monday while Kottayam received 21 mm, Karipur airport 13 mm and Kochi, 12 mm.

Low pressure

The low-pressure area over east-central Arabian Sea with an associated cyclonic circulation is expected to become a well-marked low-pressure area by Tuesday noon. It is likely to further concentrate into a depression during the subsequent 24 hours. By Thursday, it is expected to intensify and chart a course west-northwestwards, the IMD said.

Advisory to fishermen

Due to adverse weather conditions prevailing in the Arabian Sea, fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea till Wednesday.

Squally weather is expected along the coasts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep during this period.

Additionally, a cyclonic circulation persists over southwest Bay of Bengal off the Tamil Nadu coast while another low-pressure area is likely to form in the Bay of Bengal off the north Tamil Nadu-south Andhra Pradesh coasts.

A cyclonic circulation prevails over the Kanyakumari region and northern Sri Lanka.