Heavy rains lash Kerala, red alert in eight districts

Heavy rains continued to lash Kerala with eight districts put under red alert on Sunday and the IMD sounding Orange alert in ten districts for Monday.

The weatherman said that a low pressure area had formed over North East Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood on Sunday morning.

"A low pressure area has formed over Northeast Bay of Bengal and neighborhood today morning. It is likely to move west-northwest during the next 2-3 days and become more marked over Northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during next 24 hours," a weather bulletin issued at 3 pm said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued Orange alert on Monday for the districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

A red alert is sounded for rainfall of over 20 cm while an orange alert is for 6 cm to 20 cm of rain.

As Muvattupuzha river is reaching flood level, banks of the river in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts are expected to be flooded, Ernakulam district officials said.

Authorities have directed the panchayats and municipalities through which the river flows to issue necessary warnings.

Heavy rains lashed many parts of Ernakulam.

Also, heavy winds were reported in Edathala near Aluva this morning, uprooting several trees, damaging four houses and disrupting power supply.

No one was injured in the localised weather event which occurred in Edathala panchayat, police said.

The State Disaster Management Authority has banned fishing for the next 48 hours starting from Sunday morning.

Three units of the National Disaster Response Force have reached Kerala and have been deployed in Wayanad, Malappuram and Thrissur districts.

Already there are two teams in Idukki and Kozhikode districts.

While Vadakara in Kozhikode district received 21 cm rain in the last 24 hours, Thaliparambu in Kannur received 17 cm, Munnar received 14 cm, Irikkur in Kannur and Kudulu in Kasaragod received 13 cm of rain.

Fishermen have been warned not to put out to sea as strong winds with speed reaching 45-55 kmph are likely to prevail along and off Kerala, Karnataka coasts and over Lakshadweep area.

A landslide triggered by heavy rains in the hilly district of Idukki on August 7 had flattened a row of dwelling units of tea estate workers at Pettimudi in Rajamalai claiming 66 lives.