Kerala weather today: Seven districts on orange alert; heavy rain, strong winds likely
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for seven districts in Kerala on Thursday (August 6), warning of isolated very heavy rainfall across parts of the state.
The districts under the orange alert are Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasaragod.
A yellow alert has also been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad, indicating the possibility of isolated heavy rainfall.
According to the IMD, isolated places are likely to receive very heavy rainfall on Thursday. The department classifies heavy rainfall as 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm of rain within 24 hours, while very heavy rainfall refers to 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm in the same period.
Cyclonic circulations influencing weather
The IMD said the prevailing weather is being influenced by multiple atmospheric systems. A cyclonic circulation persists over south Karnataka and adjoining areas, while another is located over south Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. A third cyclonic circulation has formed over the west-central Bay of Bengal at an altitude of around 4.5 km.
Under the influence of these systems, Kerala is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall over the coming days, with isolated places likely to experience very heavy rain on August 6.
Nowcast: Heavy rain and strong winds in two districts
In its 5.45 am nowcast issued on Thursday, the IMD warned of isolated heavy rainfall and strong winds reaching speeds of up to 50 kmph over the next three hours in Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts.
The orange alert issued under the nowcast is valid only for this three-hour period.
High wave warning along Kerala coast
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has warned of the possibility of sea incursion due to high waves along parts of the Kerala coast.
The warning remains in force until 11.30 am on Friday (August 7) for coastal stretches from Kappil to Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappad to Edava in Kollam, and Chellanam to Azhikkal Jetty in Alappuzha. Waves are expected to rise between 1.1 and 1.5 metres.
A separate warning is also in effect for the Kanyakumari coast until 2.30 pm on Thursday, where waves between 1.2 and 1.6 metres are forecast.
Fishermen and people living along the coast have been advised to remain vigilant due to the risk of sea incursion.
Daily dam water level update released
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has released the daily water level bulletin for major reservoirs as of 7 am on Thursday (August 6).
Detailed information, including the maximum water level, full reservoir level and rule level of major dams, is available on the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) website.