Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is likely to witness heavy rain on Wednesday as Cyclone Hikka heads towards the Oman coast, the India Meteorological Department has warned.
A "Yellow" alert denoting severely bad weather has been issued for 12 districts, other than Ernakulam and Thrissur.
For Thursday too, a "Yellow" alert has also been issued for Idukki and districts from Palakkad to Kasaragod.
Cyclone Hikkaa that was formed in the Arabian Sea along the Gujarat coast has turned into a ‘very severe storm’ and is moving westward at a speed of up to 110 kmph and heading towards Oman coast. Strong winds and heavy rains have intensified over Masirah Island in Oman and nearby areas since Tuesday afternoon. A holiday was declared for government offices and schools in Masirah Island on Tuesday. All employees at the harbour too have been evacuated.
The weather department has warned that winds with speeds reaching 120kmph and gusting up to 130kmph are likely in the next 12 hours.
Fishermen have been asked not to venture out in the north- and mid-western directions of the Arabian Sea.
Of the colour-coded warnings issued by the Met, Yellow stands for 'Be aware/updated'.
India's apex weather agency issues four colour codes to indicate various types of warnings. The other three alerts are: Red, denoting "take action"; Amber, meaning "be prepared'; and Green denoting "no action required" as the weather is fine.
