Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is in the grip of intense monsoon rains, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing red alerts in 11 districts and warning of extremely heavy downpours today. The affected districts include Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.
An orange alert has also been declared in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Alappuzha as rain-bearing clouds sweep across the state.
Northern districts were battered by heavy overnight rains on Sunday, and the IMD has forecast isolated intense showers accompanied by strong winds reaching up to 60 km/h, especially from Idukki to Kannur. Similar weather is likely to affect parts of Kollam, Alappuzha, and Kasaragod.
Adding to concerns, a low-pressure area is expected to develop over the Bay of Bengal, which could further intensify the rainfall by Tuesday. Meteorologists warn that the wet spell may last well into the first week of June.
So far, six people have lost their lives to rain-related incidents. In response, district collectors have declared holidays in multiple districts, including Malappuram, Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Thrissur, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Pathanamthitta. Kannur University has postponed today’s exams due to the weather emergency.
