Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a bulletin said that Kerala is likely to have heavy rainfall on Saturday and Sunday (December 16 and 17). 

According to IMD, rain or thundershowers are most likely to occur in a few places in Kerala on December 15, 18, and 19.  Rain or thundershowers are most likely to occur at many places on December 16 and 17, the release said. Rain is likely to occur at one or two places on December 20 and 21, the release added. 

The weather agency also sounded yellow (Heavy rainfall) and orange (Heavy to very heavy rainfall ) alerts for several districts. They are:

  • December 16: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki (yellow)
  • December 17: Pathanamthitta and Idukki (orange); Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram (yellow)

The increase in rainfall is linked to a cyclonic circulation that lies over the southwest Bay of Bengal & adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean. It extends up to 1.5 km above mean sea level.