Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall with gusty wind reaching up to 40 kmph in central Kerala as cyclonic circulation has formed in the southeast Arabian Sea.
According to the IMD's 10 pm update on Friday, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam are expected to receive heavy rainfall while precipitation is also expected in the districts of Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod.
Strong westerly winds would prevail along the Kerala coast and “there is a possibility that the sea will be rough near shore along the coast from 17:30 hours of 31-05-2024 to 23.30 hours of 01-06-2024 due to the effect of high period swell waves, having heights of 0.5-2.3 m,” read an update from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services.
Earlier, the IMD had forecast widespread moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning across the state for the next seven days. An orange alert was issued for Idukki and Kozhikode districts, while a yellow alert was sounded for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, and Kannur districts.
Fishing is banned along the southern coast and Lakshadweep region. However, the IMD has not issued a fishing ban along the Karnataka coast.
Night travel ban in Idukki
In light of heavy rainfall, Idukki District Collector Sheeba George has issued an order banning night travel in the entire district. The decision comes in the wake of waterlogging and heavy downpours experienced in Idukki on Friday.
A landslide occurred on the state highway in Pulianmala, Thodupuzha, disrupting traffic on the Thodupuzha-Kattapana route. The debris from the landslide fell on top of a car at Naadukaani, along the Thodupuzha-Pulianmala state highway.
At Moolamattom, streams overflowed, leading to flooding in houses situated in low-lying areas. The Collector has urged the public to exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel at night.
