Monsoon rains lash Kerala, IMD issues red alert for 5 districts
With several parts of Kerala already battling flooding, uprooted trees, and rising river levels, nine NDRF teams have been deployed across the state
As heavy monsoon rains continued to lash many parts of Kerala, uprooting of trees, power disruptions and waterlogging of low-lying areas and places close to rivers were reported from across the state on Friday (May 30).
Deaths, evacuation
An 85-year-old woman, who worked as an MGNREGA worker in Ernakulam district, died when an uprooted tree fell on top of her while returning home on Thursday (May 29) evening.
Among the deceased is 19-year-old Sreejith Manoj from Kottayam, killed when an uprooted tree collapsed onto his lorry in Kumily.
A woman in Kasaragod was swept away by a stream near her home, while a houseboat worker and an elderly fisherman drowned in Alappuzha.
In Vizhinjam, a youth succumbed to injuries after he fell from a coconut tree. Three others, including two fishermen from Kochi, remain missing.
Also Read: Monsoon arrives in Kerala, earliest onset over Indian mainland since 2009: IMD
The Ernakulam district authorities also reported a rise in the water level of the Muvattupuzha River above the flood warning markers, leading to the opening of three shutters of the Malankara Dam by 20 centimetres (cm).
In many places in the hilly districts of Wayanad and Idukki, people were moved to relief camps from areas prone to landslides and flash floods.
New camps were also set up in these districts, authorities said.
Red alert in 5 districts
As the heavy rains continued, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts for three hours from 10 am.
It also issued an orange alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod for the same period.
A red alert by IMD indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while 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.
In view of the red and orange alerts, holidays were declared for educational institutions on Friday in several districts, including Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
Heavy rains ranging from 115.6mm to 204.4mm, accompanied by gusty winds, are expected to lash across Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
The IMD also said that thunderstorms with heavy to moderate rainfall and winds of speeds reaching 60 km per hour (kmph) were likely to occur in some places in all these districts.
Also Read: Above-normal monsoon rainfall likely in June: IMD
Normal life disrupted
On Thursday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that the monsoon rains, which arrived early this year, have caused widespread damage in the state and urged those living in areas prone to flooding and landslides to move to safer locations or relief camps.
The monsoons had arrived in the state on May 24, eight days ahead of schedule.
Educational institutions in nine districts — Wayanad, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Kasaragod — remain closed on Friday.
Night travel has been banned in high-range areas, and all tourist destinations have been shut until further notice.
Warning for fishermen
A major tragedy was averted in Kasaragod, as eight electric poles were brought down by strong winds in Kizhur in the wee hours of Thursday. In Kannur, a huge tree uprooted and fell across the road on the busy Kannur- Mattannur route.
High wave alerts have been issued for coastal regions in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kollam, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram, warning fishermen to avoid fishing activities until June 1.
Relief operations underway
The Kerala chief minister said around 1,200 people have been shifted to 59 relief camps across the state. He warned residents in landslide and flood-prone areas to relocate to safer zones or relief shelters.
In response to the worsening situation, one unit of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in Idukki, Malappuram, Kasaragod and Thrissur.
Additional units will be stationed in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Wayanad by June 1, and will remain until the monsoon subsides.
Also Read: Delhi braces for heavy rain, thunderstorms as IMD issues orange alert
IMD forecast for Northwest India
As the southwest monsoon advances, the IMD warned of widespread thunderstorms with gusty winds over several parts of northwest India in the next four to five days.
According to the weather department, this is due to an upper air cyclonic circulation currently lying over west Rajasthan and another over the northern parts of central Uttar Pradesh.
Orange alert for Delhi
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Delhi for Friday, warning of thunderstorms, gusty winds, and lightning.
Parts of the capital received light showers on Thursday evening, offering brief respite from the oppressive heat. The city on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 29°C, above seasonal average.
Isolated to scattered rainfall is expected over Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan till June 2. Scattered rain and thunderstorms are also expected in parts of northwest India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Haryana, over the next few days.
Also Read: Above-normal monsoon rainfall likely in June: IMD
Other states on alert
Andhra Pradesh is likely to experience thunderstorms till May 31, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds up to 50 km per hour, in isolated places of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema.
The department has predicted the possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms in some parts of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer and Jaipur divisions over the next two days.
Mumbai, meanwhile, is witnessing a sharp spike in respiratory and vector-borne illnesses due to erratic pre-monsoon weather, with hospitals reporting a 20-30 per cent rise in seasonal ailments.