The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued 'Orange' and 'Yellow' alerts for various districts in Kerala in anticipation of heavy rainfall. These warnings come amidst ongoing rescue and relief operations following severe landslides in the region. The IMD has also issued an orange alert for Wayanad.
The IMD has issued an 'Orange' alert for the following districts, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod. It issued a 'Yellow' alert to Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad.
No rain warnings have been issued for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
The alerts come as Kerala continues to deal with the aftermath of devastating landslides in the northern district of Wayanad. The official sources have reported that the landslides have resulted in the death of over 150 people and over 200 injuries with rescue operations still underway. The natural disaster has left over 180 people missing and completely destroyed more than 300 houses in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas.
Residents in the alerted districts are urged to stay vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
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. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm. In anticipation of heavy rainfall on Wednesday, authorities in Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod have declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, will visit Wayanad on Thursday to meet families affected by the recent landslides, sources said. The visit, initially scheduled for Wednesday morning, was postponed due to incessant rain and adverse weather conditions, which prevented them from landing.