Incessant rains caused minor landslides and disruption of train service in some parts of Kerala on Saturday, November 13, prompting authorities to sound extreme caution in hilly areas, river sides and tourist centres as a red warning was issued for Thiruvananthapuram district. As per the latest update of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), extremely heavy rains were predicted in Thiruvananthapuram while an orange warning, cautioning against very heavy rainfall, was issued for Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts.
Thunderstorms coupled with lightning are also very likely to occur at one or two places in the state till November 16, according to the IMD.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, said that emergency relief camps would be opened in landslide and flood prone areas. As the westerly winds are gaining strength in the southern state, the heavy rain situation is continuing in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, he said. "As there is a possibility of widespread rainfall in the coming hours, directions have been given to show extreme vigil in high ranges, riversides and tourist centres,” CM Pinarayi said.
According to reports, a new low pressure area is likely to be formed in the Andaman Sea in the Bay of Bengal in the next 12 hours, and it is expected to reach the middle east side of the Bay of Bengal by November 15 and be strengthened as an extreme low pressure area. Quoting the forecast of the IMD, the CM also said that there was a possibility of more-than-normal rainfall in Kerala in the next two weeks, from November 12-25.
Widespread destruction of property was reported in Thiruvananthapuram district, which has been witnessing continuous heavy downpour since Friday night, prompting the district authorities to sound a vigil for people. Incessant rains caused landslides on the Neyyatinkara Parassala rail route and in the Eraniel - Kulithurai section, and waterlogging at the Nagercoil Junction- Kanniyakumari section, a southern railway statement said. Considering the safety of passengers, some train services in the routes were fully or partially cancelled, it added.
A portion of a bridge, located on the national highway in the nearby suburb Neyyattinkara, was washed away in rains. Rainwater entered shops in the coastal hamlet of Vizhinjam as a canal there overflowed. The high ranges of the district, especially Vithura, Ponmudi, Nedumangadu, Palode and so on, are witnessing incessant rains. Meanwhile, the shutters of Aruvikkara and Peppara dams were raised on Saturday morning, the district authorities added.
A red warning indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange warning denotes very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rains. A yellow warning means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm.