Pathanamthitta/Idukki: Heavy rains continue to lash Kerala, throwing life out of gear as low-lying areas get marooned. Educational institutions in a few district have announced closure and a few university examinations have been cancelled.
Kerala continued to experience heavy rainfall on Tuesday adding to the record rainfall received in the first two weeks of October.
The state Disaster Management Authority informed that in the last 24 hours, the districts of Kollam, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki and Thrissur were affected the most.
The India Meteorological Department has issued Yellow alert in eight districts including Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kannur, Kasaragod and Kozhikode for Tuesday. (A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.)
Meanwhile, a new low pressure formation in the Arabian Sea was reported near the Goa-Maharashtra coast. The cyclonic formation near Karnataka and northern Kerala coast is exepected to gain strength in the next 48 hours bringing heavy rainfall to the state on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The low pressure formation over North Andaman will also gain strength in the next 24 hours. The formation is expected to move to the central-west and south-west Bay of Bengal by November 18.
Due to the influence of the cyclonic circulation, widespread rain and isolated very heavy or heavy rainfall are likely in Kerala over the next two days. Thunderstorms coupled with lightning are also very likely to occur at one or two places in the state.
The authorities also warned the fishermen not to venture into the sea as strong wind with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over the Kerala coast.
Holiday for educational institutions
All educational institutions will remain shut in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Alappuzha districts on Tuesday. However, professional colleges will be functioning in Kollam.
In Thiruvananthapuram district, Kattakada, Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara taluks have declared a holiday for educational institutions on Tuesday.
Kerala University and Mahatma Gandhi University have cancelled all its exams scheduled for Tuesday. The new dates will be announced later.
Toddlers among fatalities
The death toll from rain-related incidents rose to five in the state.
Two toddlers lost their lives in separate rain-related incidents in Kannur and Thrissur districts. A driver was killed in a mudslide in Ernakulam.
In Thiruvananthapuram district a four-year-old died after falling into an overflowing well at Peppara and a youth, who was part of fishing squad in Peppara river, drowned.
Over 7,000 relief camps
Almost 7,000 relief camps have been opened in southern Kerala. Three thousand people are now in relief camps in Kollam district alone. The figures are 1,376 in Alappuzha, 2,410 in Pathanamthitta and 200 in Kottayam district.
Scene at dams
The water level at Idukki dam has risen to 2399.16 feet.
The water level at Mullaperiyar dam is 140.40 ft. Tamil Nadu has increased by 2,300 one cubic feet per second the quantum water it diverts for irrigation.
Record rain in Kerala
As per the weatherman, Kerala has received 833.8 mm rain during the period from October 1 to 15, while the normal average rainfall was 407.2 mm. There is a departure of 105 per cent. The previous record was 822.9 mm of rainfall received in 2010.
The north-east monsoon is normally spread over the 92 days from October 1 to December 31, but the excess rainfall this year was received in just 45 days.
As per the IMD figures of 121 years, the north-east rainfall of over 800mm was previously received only in 2010 and 1977 (809.1mm).
