Barely a few hours after the Met Department announced a respite from heavy rains, the weather has worsened in most parts of Kerala.
In the next few hours, rains with thunderstorms have been forecast for 11 districts— Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kozhikode.
Revenue Minsiter K. Rajan said the India Meteorological Department has also warned of winds gusting upto 40 kmph. After the heavy bout of rains that triggered a slew of landslides and flash floods in several parts of the state last weekend, the day was sunny on Wednesday.
The IMD had withdrawn the orange alert, indicating heavy to very heavy rainfall, issued for three districts. Eleven districts are currently under yellow alert.
They are: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad.
Orange alert has been issued for Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam on Thursday.
Yellow alert has been issued for the following districts in the coming days:
October 21: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram
October 22: Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode
October 23: Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad
October 24: Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad
The Met Department also said the northeast monsoon will arrive in Kerala on October 26.
Earlier, the IMD had sounded orange alert in as many as 11 districts on Wednesday and 12 districts on Thursday.
In the wake of the earlier prediction that rains will continue, the state had opened its dams to accommodate incoming water and pushed back the full-scale reopening of its colleges and institutions.
Emergency units, comprising teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDFC), and volunteering fisherfolks were called into service to aid rescue efforts in the event of another calamity.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the entire state machinery had been urging people to remain vigilant, especially those living along the banks of rivers and in areas prone to landslides.
