The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of significant rainfall in Kerala due to cyclone Fengal, currently positioned as a strong low-pressure area over northern Tamil Nadu.
The system is expected to intensify as it moves towards the Arabian Sea, passing over northern Kerala and Karnataka by December 3, the IMD said.
Cyclone Fengal, which made landfall near Puducherry on November 30, weakened on Sunday. However, torrential rains continued in parts of Southern India days after the cyclone made landfall. According to the latest IMD update, the cyclone has weakened into a deep depression.
Kerala is forecast to experience light to moderate rain across most parts of the state on Monday, with isolated areas likely to receive very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. The state, however, is likely to see heavy to very heavy rain in the northern and central parts of the state on Tuesday. Intermittent light to moderate rain with occasional thunderstorms will continue in the state for the next five days, IMD said.
Red alerts have been issued for five northern districts--Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram--on Monday. Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki, and Ernakulam districts are under an orange alert, while Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Pathanamthitta are on a yellow alert.
Officials said that an NDRF team is on standby, as a red alert has been issued in Wayanad. They said that there are five NDRF teams in Kerala. Two teams have been deployed in Sabarimala, with one team each in the Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts.
What Does A 'Red' Alert Signify?
According to the weather agency IMD, a red alert signifies extremely heavy rain exceeding 20 cm in 24 hours. On the other hand, an orange alert indicates very heavy rain between 11 cm and 20 cm, while a yellow alert warns of heavy rain ranging from 6 cm to 11 cm.
Authorities have issued a warning against fishing on the Kerala coast on December 2 and 3, the southern Karnataka coast on December 2, the Karnataka coast on December 3, and in the Lakshadweep region from December 3 to 5.
Meanwhile, the district administrations in Kasaragod and Thrissur have declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, tuition centres, anganwadis, and madrasas, on Tuesday. The Kasaragod District Collector has announced that the holiday will not apply to pre-scheduled examinations.