Heavy rain lashes parts of Kerala, IMD issues red alert for five districts

Mangalore Today News Network

Kerala, Oct 22, 2019: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued an alert for heavy to extremely heavy rain across 13 of the state’s 14 districts. Of these, a red alert has been sounded in Ernakulam, Palakkad, Idukki, Malappuram and Thrissur districts, which are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall.

Three weeks into the northeast monsoon period, Kerala has already recorded 38 per cent excess rainfall, Yahoo reported.

 

Dr S Abhilash from the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at CUSAT-Kochi said the situation is complex with one well-marked low pressure area in the Arabian Sea and another low pressure area emerging in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Tamil Nadu. He added that there is another small cyclonic circulation over the Comorin area. Good rains can be expected between October 22 and 27, he added.

On Monday, low lying areas in Kochi were inundated due to heavy rain since Sunday night, affecting voting for the the bypoll to the Ernakulam Assembly segment. Heavy rain and water-logging reported at several booths put the voter turnout at 57 per cent.

With railway tracks and stations waterlogged, the Southern Railways cancelled several train services in the state. However, services were partially restored in the evening after a let-up in the rain.

The state disaster management authority said 17 relief camps had been set up so far and that no deaths from rain-related incidents were reported. All districts have been asked to open control rooms to tackle rain calamities, the agency said.