Heavy rain lashes Kerala, IMD issues orange alert

An orange alert was issued for several districts of Kerala by the India Metrological Department (IMD) for the next four days, beginning Monday. 

The IMD issued the alert for Monday in 12 districts--Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad. The districts are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall throughout the day.

It also issued the alert for Wednesday in 13 districts--Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod.

All government and private schools in Kochi remain closed on Monday as heavy rainfall lashed the city causing water-logging in several areas. 

During an Orange warning, the forecast is of heavy to very heavy rainfall and authorities are expected to "Be prepared". Amid the bad weather, by-polls are also underway in five constituencies of the state -- Vatiyoorkavu, Aroor, Konni, Ernakulam and Manjeswaram.

Heavy rains in Kerala and north Karnataka for the last five days have made the situation very alarming. In Karnataka, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Chikkodi, and Bagalkot districts were badly hit by torrential rains leading to waterlogging and traffic jams in many areas. Rain poured in the city for more than two hours following which water logging was witnessed in many low lying areas of the city.

As per IMD prediction for Monday, heavy rains is likely to occur at isolated places over Bagalkote, Belgaum, Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburgi, Vijaypura districts of north Interior when rainfall shall exceed 65 mm. Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over north interior Karnataka.