With the Southwest Monsoon expected to arrive in Kerala on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued weather alerts for all districts until Saturday, warning that rainfall is likely to intensify in the coming days.

An orange alert has been issued at Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Thrissur on Wednesday, while Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts have been placed under a yellow alert.

However, on Thursday, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Idukki districts will also be placed under orange alert along with Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Thrissur. Meanwhile, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts will continue to be under a yellow alert.

On Friday, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts will be placed under an orange alert, while Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki will be placed under a yellow alert.

By Saturday, the orange alert will be in place only at Kannur and Kasaragod, while the yellow alert will be in place at Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad.

According to the IMD, conditions are favourable for the advancement of the Southwest Monsoon over the state. It has forecast widespread rain and thundershowers across the state, along with squally weather conditions and winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph along the Kerala coast. It has also issued thunderstorm, heavy rainfall and fishermen warnings for Kerala and Lakshadweep.

The intense spell of rain could reduce visibility and lead to traffic congestion. Waterlogging, uprooting of trees and falling branches may further disrupt normal life, resulting in longer travel times in affected areas.

The weather agency has also warned of power outages, damage to vulnerable structures, flash floods and flooding in low-lying areas. It further cautioned that the continuing heavy rainfall could trigger landslides, mudslides and mudslips in vulnerable regions.