The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for various Kerala districts for the coming days as a low pressure area, likely to form in the Arabian Sea, is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm. Heavy rains have been lashing isolated places across the state from Wednesday night.
On Thursday morning too isolated heavy rainfall was witnessed in many Kerala districts. The IMD has issued a yellow warning – which directs authorities to stay alert on the changing weather conditions – for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki for Thursday.
According to the IMD, a low pressure area is very likely to form over the southeast Arabian Sea by May 14. This is likely to concentrate into a depression and move north-northwest intensifying into a cyclonic storm by May 16.
Very heavy rainfall, with up to 204.4 mm of precipitation, is predicted in various Kerala districts for Friday and Saturday, as the low pressure is likely to occur by then. The IMD has issued an orange warning for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur for Friday and Saturday. An orange warning has been issued for Kollam district on Friday alone. An orange warning directs authorities to be prepared to take necessary action due to the expected weather impact.
As the low pressure region is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and move northwards, Kannur and Kasaragod districts have been issued an orange warning for May 16.
Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram districts have been issued yellow warning for Friday while Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod have also been issued the same warning for Saturday.
For Sunday, May 16, a yellow warning with the prediction of isolated heavy rainfall has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur.
Meanwhile, as the low pressure formation is likely to happen on Friday near the Lakshadweep islands, a red warning – asking authorities to take action – has been issued for the island for Friday and Saturday while an orange warning has been issued for Sunday.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has also issued a warning about possible landslides and inundation for the state. As per the authority, those districts that have been given a weather warning by the IMD should be on high alert if they are prone to flooding or landslides. KSDMA has also warned coastal regions in the state as sea erosion can intensify in the coming days.
The authority has also warned of lightning accompanied by rains in the state.
“The local bodies and authorities in the regions where landslides or floods happened during 2018, 2019 or 2020 and in those regions where the Geological Survey of India and KSDMA has declared to be accident prone areas should make necessary preparations for foreseeing disasters,” KSDMA said in a statement.