Kerala braces for heavier rain; school, college holiday decisions to depend on local conditions

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued its rainfall forecast for Kerala for the next five days, warning of heavy to very heavy rain in parts of the state.

The weather agency has placed Kozhikode under an orange alert for June 17 (Wednesday), while several other districts are under yellow alert on different days as rain-bearing systems continue to influence weather conditions across Kerala.

Orange alert for Kozhikode

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Kozhikode district on June 17, indicating the likelihood of isolated very heavy rainfall.

According to the department, "very heavy rainfall" refers to precipitation ranging between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm within a 24-hour period.

Yellow alerts in several districts

A yellow alert has been issued for Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur on June 17.

For June 18 (Thursday), yellow alerts are in place for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram.

On June 21 (Sunday), the warning covers Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. 

The IMD defines heavy rainfall as precipitation between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm within a 24-hour period. Thunderstorms accompanied by rain are also expected in affected areas.

Possibility of school and college holidays

The latest IMD forecast points to the possibility of temporary disruption to normal life in some areas.

District administrations are expected to assess local conditions before taking any decisions on school and college closures. Authorities may issue district-specific orders regarding educational institution holidays after reviewing the weather situation over the coming hours.

Students and parents have been advised to rely only on official announcements issued by district collectors and verified communications from educational institutions regarding holidays, closures or changes to schedules.