Thunderstorms wreak havoc in southern districts

Trees fall, power lines snap

Heavy summer rain lashed Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds and lightning in parts of the State till May 2. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has warned of a possibility of lightning between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Thunderstorms lashed Thiruvananthapuram and several southern districts on Tuesday, bringing down trees, damaging buildings and snapping overhead power lines.

The India Meteorological Department had issued yellow alerts for six southern districts for Tuesday indicating the possibility of isolated heavy rainfall. Lashing rain and heavy winds wreaked havoc in Thiruvananthapuram. In the city region alone, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel attended between 40 and 50 calls for assistance.

Flooding

No casualties were reported, according to the Fire and Rescue Services officials. However, the storm brought down trees and heavy branches in several places, including Jagathy, Kannettumukku, Killippalam, Padmavilasom Road, Fort, Vanchiyoor and Plamoodu. Waterlogging was reported in low-lying areas such as Thampanoor. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has reported heavy losses across southern districts after overhead power lines and numerous electric poles were brought down by the lashing winds and uprooted trees. Repairs are being carried out to restore supply at the earliest, a KSEB spokesperson said.