Heavy rains continue to lash Kerala, Red alert in 10 districts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As incessant rains continue to lash Kerala with reports of landslides and rising river water levels in some parts of the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Red alert in 10 districts of the southern state for Tuesday.

IMD also issued a Red alert in the same 10 districts for August 3 also.

The Red alert is issued in all the districts of Kerala barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Kasaragod, where Orange alerts have been issued for August 2 and 3, according to an IMD district rainfall forecast issued for Kerala at 10 AM on Tuesday.

The department also warned of widespread and isolated heavy and very heavy rainfall in the state till August 5.

As the heavy rains continued, the authorities set up relief camps in various districts and tourist spots in high-range areas of Idukki have been closed down.

In Kottayam, the body of a man who had gone missing a day ago was recovered on Tuesday morning from the Koottikkal Chappath area of the district, the emergency operations center there said.

In Thrissur, the Chalakudy river water levels rose by nearly 5 meters around 2 AM on Tuesday due to the heavy rains leading to the district administration advising those living on the low-lying areas of the river's banks to move to safer places.

On Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that till August 1 six people died in rain-related incidents and one was missing.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rains from 6 cm to 20 cm of rain. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 and 11 cm.