Keralam on high alert as rain intensifies; IMD sounds orange alert for four districts on October 22

Heavy thunderstorms continued to lash several parts of Keralam on Thursday under the influence of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for four districts, warning of intense thunderstorms, while the remaining districts were placed under a yellow alert for heavy rain over the next 24 hours.

The eastern ghat regions, southern Keralam and parts of Central Travancore received heavy overnight rain on Wednesday, disrupting normal life and causing waterlogging in several areas. Disaster management authorities have been placed on high alert in view of the forecast for continued heavy rain.

Further, minor landslips triggered by the heavy rain along the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil railway section near Parassala railway station in Keralam also disrupted train services. Several trains were detained or rescheduled, with services expected to resume along the affected route by 10 a.m.

According to the IMD, the low-pressure area and its associated cyclonic circulation over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Tamil Nadu coast are feeding moisture into Keralam, resulting in heavy to very heavy thunderstorms, particularly over the ghat regions and the southern and central parts of the State.

Another low-pressure area is likely to develop over the southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal around October 23. As the system moves northwestwards and intensifies, it could enhance the moisture flow towards peninsular India, leading to a gradual increase in rainfall over Keralam from October 23 to 25. The State is likely to receive fairly widespread rainfall during this period, with thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in several areas.

Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode are under an orange alert for Thursday, with the possibility of intense thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds over the next 24 hours.