Heavy rains in Kerala cause waterlogging ; IMD issues orange alert in 5 districts

As rains continued throughout the day in the state, waterlogging was reported from some low-lying areas.

As heavy rains lashed parts of Kerala on Saturday, it caused waterlogging in low lying areas and also raised the water levels of some dams and reservoirs in the state.

As rains continued throughout the day in the state, waterlogging was reported from some low-lying areas. The rains also caused the water levels of some dams and reservoirs to rise. In Pathanamthitta district, two shutters of the Kakki reservoir were opened in the afternoon to release water. In Palakkad district, levels of the Meenkara, Chuliyar and Walayar dams reached the ”third stage alert” status.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of the state.It also issued a ”yellow alert” in the remaining nine districts for the day.An orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

The IMD also said that there was a likelihood of strong winds with speeds of 40 kilometers per hour (kmph) during the day. Additionally, the IMD also predicted that parts of Kerala will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall between August 16 to 20 and strong winds with speeds ranging from 40-50 kmph were also likely during this period. It also cautioned against fishing activities along the Kerala-Karnataka-Lakshadweep coasts between August 16 to 18 due to bad weather conditions and strong winds of speeds upto 60 kmph.