The landslide-hit Wayanad in Kerala is likely to receive more rains in the coming days, said the India Meteorological Department issuing an "orange" alert on Thursday implying isolated 'very heavy' rainfall in the district. The ecologically fragile district of Wayanad was hit by a series of landslides triggered by heavy rains on July 30 killing over 230 people.
According to the IMD, one or two places in Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Kannur are likely to receive heavy rainfall (7 cm to 11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy rainfall (12 cm to 20 cm in 24 hours) on Wednesday, and Kozhikode and Wayanad on Thursday.
An "orange" alert has been issued by the weather department for Wayanad on Saturday which could mean that heavy to very heavy rainfall could lash the district with rainfall between the ranges 64.5 millimetres to 115.5 mm and 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm.
Capital Thiruvananthapuram is predicted to receive heavy rainfall on Thursday while the skies could remain clean for the rest of the week.
A 'yellow' alert has been sounded by the IMD in Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasargode districts of the state from Friday. Pathanamthitta and Idukki could receive heavy to very heavy rainfall.
On Wednesday, a team of global scientists said that the deadly landslides in Wayanad were triggered by an intense burst of rainfall, which was made 10 per cent heavier by climate change, as per a PTI report.
According to the experts, consisting of 24 researchers from India, Sweden, the US, and the UK, said that the already saturated soil by two months of monsoon was inundated by over 140 mm of rainfall in a single day triggering catastrophic landslides and floods.
Other researchers also attributed a combination of factors, including forest cover loss, mining in fragile terrain, and prolonged monsoon rains followed by heavy precipitation as the probable reasons for the Wayanad landslides.