Thiruvananthapuram: Heavy rains, triggered by the northeast monsoon, continued to batter Kerala's high ranges on Tuesday, causing flooding in low-lying areas across the state. Most districts experienced overcast skies with intermittent rainfall throughout the day.
The high ranges of Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Idukki received widespread downpours. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an 'orange alert', forecasting very heavy rainfall in Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram for the day.
Authorities declared a holiday for educational institutions in Idukki, Palakkad, and Malappuram on Wednesday, ahead of a 'red alert' predicting "extremely heavy rainfall" in these districts. The holiday applies to madrassas, anganwadis, and tuition centres in Malappuram, while in Palakkad, residential schools, colleges, and Navodaya institutions are exempted.
In view of the 'red alert,' all water-based recreational activities in Idukki—including boating, kayaking, and rafting—and tourism initiatives in disaster-prone areas have been suspended. Trekking and other adventure activities in hilly regions prone to landslides or mudslides are also prohibited until the alert is lifted.
District Collector Dinesan Cheruvat further banned all quarrying and soil excavation activities, except those related to disaster management operations.
According to the IMD, a 'red alert' indicates "heavy to extremely heavy rain" of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an 'orange alert' signifies "very heavy rain" of 11 cm to 20 cm.
With PTI inputs