Kerala is likely to receive rain till September 25 as a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal continues to influence weather conditions in the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rain at isolated places and issued yellow alerts in different districts till Friday.

On Monday, the yellow alert was issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam and Thrissur. A yellow alert indicates the possibility of heavy rainfall, ranging from 7 cm to 11 cm in 24 hours.

The IMD said light to moderate rain is likely to continue across Kerala till September 25, with isolated areas likely to receive heavy rainfall. While the intensity was likely to be less on Tuesday, there was a yellow alert for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta on Wednesday. On September 24, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod were under yellow alert, while on September 25, the alert was for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.

Meanwhile, heavy rain over short periods has already triggered mudslides in Teekoy and Vagamon in Kottayam, and parts of Idukki. In Nilambur, flash floods claimed the lives of 5 people.

"The possibility of cloudbursts is also high in Kerala," IMD director Neetha K Gopal said.
She said the heavy rain recorded in Nilambur and Teekoy on Sunday could be linked to the effects of climate change. “Climate change was a factor here. There was a long spell of hot days before this. Soon after, the low-pressure area also caused the intensity of the rain to rise,” she said, adding that the impact of heavy rain could be particularly severe in the mountainous regions of the state. Disaster-prone areas were already identified, and alerts have been issued, she said.

Meanwhile, the IMD said the low-pressure area over the central Bay of Bengal was likely to intensify into a depression and move towards the Andhra Pradesh coast over the next two days.

A trough extending from the southeast Arabian Sea through Kerala and Tamil Nadu to the southwest Bay of Bengal, passing through the centre of a cyclonic circulation over central Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas, was also influencing the weather over the region. The combination of these weather systems was likely to bring more rain to Kerala over the coming days.