Red alert in Kerala: IMD warns of extremely heavy rain in 8 districts; schools shut, trains hit

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for eight districts of Kerala, including Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, for Friday, warning of extremely heavy rainfall of over 20 cm in 24 hours. An orange alert of rainfall has been issued for six districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Thrissur.

Also, several trains are running late on Friday due to heavy rainfall across the state. According to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) in Thiruvananthapuram, the Jan Shatabdi Express from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode, originally scheduled to depart at 5.55 am. on Friday, was rescheduled to leave at 8.45 am, Mathrubhumi reported.

The authorities have also ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in nine districts on Friday, including Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kasaragod. In Idukki, Night-time travel has been prohibited in the high-range areas from 7 pm to 6 am, Hindustan Times reported.

The weather department informed that Kerala is experiencing increased rainfall due to a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, which is now located near the Odisha coast. This system is expected to intensify into a deep depression in the next 24 hours, which may result in more widespread and prolonged rain across the state.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has raised concerns about rising water levels in several rivers. These include the Manimala and Achankovil rivers in Pathanamthitta, Meenachil in Kottayam, Korapuzha in Kozhikode, and Kabani in Wayanad.

The situation has already led to some tragic incidents. In Idukki, a 19-year-old youth named Sreejith from Changanassery lost his life after a tree fell on a parked lorry near the Kumily check post. In other parts of the state, fallen trees on railway tracks in places like Murukkumpuzha, Kadakkavoor, Thakazhi, and Aroor caused major train delays, the Kaumudi Online report said.

Since the monsoon officially began on May 24, Kerala has received 319 mm of rainfall in just five days, much higher than the average of 57.2 mm normally expected for this period.