Kerala rain: IMD revises forecast; Red alert in Ernakulam, Kottayam today

Thiruvananthapuram: With several places across the southern districts of Kerala receiving heavy pre-monsoon showers on Tuesday morning, the met department has revised its forecast for the day. The India Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert in Kottayam and Ernakulam districts on Tuesday. These districts are expected to receive rainfall above 204.4mm  in 24 hours. Orange and yellow alert is sounded for various districts in the state as the rain is expected to intensify in the next hours.

Orange alert in districts
May 28 - Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki
May 29 - Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam

Yellow alert in districts
May 28 - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode
May 29 -  Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Idukki, Thrissur
May 30 - Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur
May 31 - Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur
June 1 - Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur

Waterlogging hits normal life in Kochi, Kollam
In Ernakulam, incessant rain caused severe waterlogging in many places including Infopark at Kakkanad. Many houses were inundated in low-lying areas like Marottichuvadu, Thammanam, Kakkanad, Kudannoor and Edappally under Kochi Corporation. The bad weather and waterlogging resulted in traffic snarl-ups on major roads at Vyttila, Kaloor, Tripunithra, Kadavanthra, Kalamassery, and on Sahodaran Ayappan Road, Palarivattom-Kakkanad and Aluva-Edappally roads on Tuesday morning. A uprooted tree and fell over a KSRTC bus at Fort Kochi. No casualties were reported.

In Kollam, over 200 houses in low-lying areas like Maruthadi, Mangad and Sakthikulangara were submerged as heavy rain continued to lash the district from Sunday night. People complained that lapses in reconstructing the drainage led to the issue. Severe waterlogging is interrupting traffic on MC Road, Chathannur, Nilamel and Kollam-Theni National Highway. In the visuals aired on TV channels, water was seen flowing fast through road near a residential area in Kollam town. Recently, around 18 houses were damaged in the rain havoc in the district. Manorama News reported that people have started to move out of their flooded houses.

Rain wreaks havoc 
The city and rural areas of the capital district of Thiruvananthapuram witnessed heavy rains since Monday night. Trees were uprooted and streams were overflowing in villages of Thiruvananthapuram district. In nearby Neyyattinkara, a house was severely damaged after an uprooted tree fell on it during heavy rains accompanied by winds. Nedumangadu, Neyyattinkara, Kattakkada, and Amboori areas, located in the high ranges of the district, received widespread rainfall. In Neyyattinkkara, a portion of Sri Krishna Swamy temple collapsed and fell into the Neyyar river. According to local residents, a portion of a hill behind the famous Bali mandapam at Papanasam in nearby Varkala caved in because of heavy rains. The eco-tourism centre in hill station Ponmudi was closed following bad weather.

With heavy rains continuing to lash rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram, the shutters of Aruvikkara dam here have been raised up to 90 cm, district authorities said. As the shutters would be raised up to 150 cm in the wake of the intense downpour, people living nearby are advised to remain vigilant, they added. High tides and rough seas were reported in coastal areas, posing a threat to fishing vessels in these areas of the state.

Three deaths in rain-related accidents
Three deaths were reported in rain-related accidents in the state on Tuesday. A student drowned in a canal at Vengoor in Ernakulam while taking a bath. The deceased is Eldhose (15), son of Aikkarakudi Shaibin. In Alappuzha, Anchuthengu native Aravind was killed after a coconut tree fell over him during gusty winds and rain.A 14-year-old boy drowned in a river at Kanhangad in Kasaragod. The deceased is Sinan.

In Muthalapozhi, a fisherman was killed after his fishing boat capsized due to high tidal waves on Tuesday. Two others were injured.

Two incidents of boat capsizing were also reported off the coasts of Muthalapozhi fishing hamlet, located about 30 kilometres away from here. In one incident, a fisherman died after his boat overturned due to high tidal waves this morning. Three others, who also fell into the sea, were rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital, police said.

Meanwhile, the weatherman has predicted that above-normal monsoon rainfall is expected in the central and south peninsular regions of India. As per the forecast, the southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala on May 31. 

"India's monsoon core zone comprising most of the rain-fed agriculture areas is likely to receive above-normal rainfall (more than 106 per cent of the long period average). This is good news for the country,"  IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

"Barring a few parts of southern peninsular India, normal to above-normal maximum temperatures are expected in the country in June," the senior meteorologist said, adding that conditions are favourable for monsoon onset over Kerala in the next five days.
(With PTI inputs)