Several cities in Kerala have been battered by rainfall for the past few days. On Thursday, May 23, a red warning was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for two districts in Kerala. An orange warning has been issued in eight districts and the remaining four districts have been given a yellow warning. People have been asked to relocate from their homes in a few areas due to the increasing levels of water.
The red warning has been issued for Ernakulam and Thrissur as heavy to extremely heavy rain was predicted on Thursday. Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad may witness heavy rain, ranging from 6 cm to 20 cm, and hence an orange warning has been issued. Waterlogging and major traffic disruptions are expected.
The other four districts–Kannur, Kasaragod, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam– may witness comparatively lesser rain on Thursday, May 23, and have been issued a yellow warning. Meanwhile, a cyclone circulation has formed and lingering over the Bay of Bengal and moderate rain with thunder and lightning will likely occur in Kerala for the next five days.
Several roads and institutions including hospitals, faced flood-like situation in many districts across Kerala. Due to the rainfall, water seeped into many areas in Ernakulam, including Kochi Infopark.
Due to the continuous four hours of rain in Thrissur district, Aswini Hospital was inundated with water and resulted in damages worth lakhs. Many other parts of Thrissur city and the hilly region received heavy rain. Following this, an emergency meeting has been called by the district collector to address the water logging issues in the city. In Thiruvananthapuram, water stagnation has been reported in Chala market and several other places across the district.
Several wards of Kozhikode Medical College faced water stagnation, and the Nadakkavu National Highway was damaged. Around 20 families from Nanmanda in Balussery were relocated on Wednesday night. In response to these events, four control rooms have been opened in the district.
The Kerala State Disaster Management said that the rains may cause water logging in major roads, poor visibility that may lead to traffic congestion, flooding in many parts of low-lying areas and river banks, and uprooting of trees which may affect the power sector.