IMD issues orange alert for 12 Kerala districts after parts of state receive over 300 mm rainfall

Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an orange alert for twelve Kerala districts, a day after parts of the state recorded more than 300 mm of rain.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for 12 districts: Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

Earlier, IMD's 4 a.m. bulletin, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod are under a red alert for the next three hours, with isolated places likely to receive heavy rainfall accompanied by maximum surface wind speeds of up to 50 kmph.

An orange alert has also been issued for Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Thrissur, where moderate rainfall and winds reaching 50 kmph are expected during the same period.

The remaining districts in Kerala are likely to receive moderate rainfall with maximum surface wind speeds of up to 40 kmph, the IMD said.

The latest warning comes after intense rain battered several parts of Kerala on Saturday. According to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), Ayyankunnu in Kannur district recorded the state's highest rainfall at 320 mm, while many areas across the Malabar region received between 90 mm and 180 mm of rain between 3 a.m. Saturday and midnight.

The heavy downpour inundated low-lying areas and riverside settlements in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Wayanad, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kannur, with floodwaters entering several homes and disrupting normal life.

Although rainfall eased in many areas on Sunday morning, floodwaters had not fully receded in several places. Residents in Ranni in Pathanamthitta and Kuttanad in Alappuzha continued to use small boats for transportation through flooded areas.

The rains also damaged around 40 houses across 25 villages in Pathanamthitta district, particularly in Ranni and Konni, according to the KSDMA.

With rainfall subsiding, water levels dropped at several reservoirs, allowing authorities to close dam shutters that had been opened the previous day. However, water levels in some hydropower dams in Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur remained at red alert levels.

Authorities have advised people to avoid unnecessary travel, remain alert in flood-prone and hilly areas, and follow advisories issued by the IMD and the KSDMA, as heavy rain, strong winds and the risk of landslides continue in several parts of the state.