Heavy rain likely in Kerala: Yellow alert in 9 districts today

Thiruvanathapuram: The low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rain across Kerala till Friday, predicted the India Meteorological Department. A yellow alert is sounded for nine districts -Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod.

As per the forecast at 4 am, light to heavy rain accompanied by strong winds with speed reaching up to 40 kmph is expected in isolated places of all districts. 

Wayanad district is on high alert after a massive mudslide occurred on the Thamarassery Ghat Road on Tuesday evening. The district authority has banned vehicular movement on this stretch of NH-799 until further notice.

Meanwhile, heavy rain triggered by the low-pressure area wreaked havoc in the northern districts of India, especially the Himalayan region. A landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hill on Tuesday afternoon killed at least six people, while several were feared trapped. Also, four people were killed in Jammu's Doda district in separate rain-related incidents.

According to a PTI report, downpours led rivers originating from the Himalayas and rivulets to flow in spate. Dams and barrages had to release copious amounts of water, compounding the flood situation in the downstream areas, especially Punjab. The hill state of Himachal Pradesh, already reeling under the devastation caused by multiple landslides and flash floods, saw shops being washed away, buildings collapsing, and highways cut off. A total of 680 roads were closed in the state, with Mandi and Kullu districts being the most affected.

A total of 12 flash floods, two major landslides and one cloudburst have been reported in the past 24 hours in the state since Monday evening.