IMD issues red alert in five districts of Kerala, heavy rainfall predicted in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry | Updates

The red alert was sounded in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki districts of Kerala.

The India Meteorological Department on Wednesday issued a red alert in five districts of Kerala predicting extremely heavy rainfall. The red alert was sounded in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki districts. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad continue to be on orange alert, while Kannur and Kasaragod remain on yellow alert, the IMD said.

A commuter passes through a waterlogged bus station amid heavy rain in Kochi.(HT_PRINT)

High waves ranging from 0.4 to 3.3 metres and sea incursions were forecast along the coast of Kerala from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod until Thursday night. Meanwhile, in the wake of the heavy rainfall, a control room was opened in the health department directorate as part of the government's efforts to strengthen epidemic prevention activities in the state, health minister Veena George said. A state-level rapid response team was also formed by the department for epidemic prevention, the minister added.

Meanwhile, the IMD also predicted heavy rainfall in isolated parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on Wednesday and Thursday. “Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal is very likely to get isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.5 mm) on 22nd & 23rd May, 2024,” the weather department wrote on X. Apart from these regions, the weather department also predicted heavy rainfall in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on Sunday. Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura is likely to get isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.5 mm) on 26th May, 2024," the IMD said.

The weather office had earlier predicted heavy rainfall in Odisha and West Bengal on Saturday due to a low-pressure area forming over the southwest Bay of Bengal coast. “A Low-Pressure Area is likely to form over Southwest Bay of Bengal around 22nd May,” the IMD said in its weather bulletin. The IMD indicated that this system is expected to move northeastwards and develop into a depression over the central parts of the Bay of Bengal by Friday morning.

The weather office said that light to moderate rainfall is expected in several areas of Bengal on Saturday, with heavy rainfall in isolated regions in North and South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts of West Bengal. Heavy rain is also likely in the Balasore district of Odisha.

(With inputs from PTI)