Moderate rainfall expected in Kerala on Thursday: Yellow alert in 13 districts

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Moderate rainfall is expected across Kerala on Thursday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow alert in all districts except Thiruvananthapuram.

It has also cautioned people living along coast areas to be on alert as tidal waves reaching 2.9 metre high is expected to hit Kerala coast by Thursday night. Hence, fishermen are advised to remain ashore till July 25.

According to the weather department, Idukki district is to receive very heavy rainfall on Friday. Other districts, except Palakkad, is likely to witness heavy rainfall.

On Wednesday, the IMD had said that a low-pressue area is likely to form over northwest of Bay of Bengal by Friday (July 23) and it will move west-northwest in the subsequent days. As a result, Kerala is expected to get heavy rain over the next few days.

Red alert in Mumbai

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a red alert for Mumbai, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the country's financial capital. It also issued an "orange" alert for Maharashtra's East Vidarbha region, which includes districts such as Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Yavatmal, indicating the likelihood of heavy to very heavy showers.

The western and central parts of the country will continue to witness heavy rains over the next three-four days, the IMD said on Wednesday. However, the intensity of rainfall over north India is likely to decrease after 24 hours, the Met office said.

Alerts by the IMD are colour-coded from green to red. A red alert indicates extremely heavy rainfall – more than 204 millimetres of rain in 24 hours – and asks authorities to "take action". An orange alert means heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.6mm to 204.4m) and it indicates that the authorities are expected to "be prepared". A yellow alert warns of rainfall ranging from 64.5mm to 115 mm. A "green" alert stands for "no warning" and the forecast is of light to moderate rain.

(With PTI inputs)