The Kerala SDMA has advised people living in low-lying, landslide-prone, and other such areas to relocate to safer places.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued red alerts for four districts in Kerala for Monday, December 2, warning of isolated heavy rains in the state.
The weather office has forecasted extremely heavy rainfall in the northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur. IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall at a few places and expected isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall on Sunday.
“Rainfall activity will increase with light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy at isolated placed on December 2 and heavy rainfall at isolated places on December 3,” the weather department’s latest bulletin read. Moreover, an “orange alert” has been issued for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur districts, while an “yellow alert” has been placed on Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.
A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, an orange alert signifies very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert warns of heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm. Owing to the weather alerts, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) advised people living in the low-lying, landslide and mudslide-prone areas to keep vigil and relocate to safer places as directed by the authorities.
Those living along riverbanks and in dam catchment areas should also evacuate as per officials’ instructions, it added. The SDMA advised regulating the traffic and imposing a restriction on non-essential movement of residents. It also warned of waterlogging possibility on major roads, while indicating at traffic congestion due to poor visibility. The KSDMA further said that flooding in low-lying areas and riverbanks, along with uprooting of trees amid heavy rains, may possible cause damage to the power sector.
In a post on X, the authority also shared caution for the fishermen. “The Central Meteorological Department has informed that fishing should not be done off the Kerala coast from December 1 to 4, off the Lakshadweep coast from December 1 to 5, and off the Karnataka coast on December 3 and 4.
