Kochi witnesses extremely heavy rainfall; IMD issues red alert for Ernakulam, Kottayam districts

Meanwhile, the director of Meteorological Centre Thiruvananthapuram told South First that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not recorded a cloud burst in the Kalamassery area of Kochi.

Officials said that the city has been witnessing heavy rains in the run-up to the onset of the Southwest Monsoon.

According to IMD data, it is expected to onset in Kerala on 1 June.

State Revenue Minister K Rajan said the central Kerala region witnessed heavier rainfall.

The Palluruthi region in Ernakulam district received 95 mm of rainfall, and Kalamassery received 57 mm of rainfall in just one and a half hours, a rare occurrence in recent times, he pointed out.

Steps have been taken to open 3,597 relief camps that can accommodate over five lakh people, in view of the situation arising out of rains, he said.

Also Read: Red alert issued for five districts as IMD predicts extremely heavy rainfall

Red alert issued

The IMD also issued red alerts for Ernakulam and Kottayam districts for Tuesday.

It also issued orange alerts for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki on Tuesday, and Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Idukki and Ernakulam on Wednesday.

A red alert indicates very heavy rain to extremely heavy rain of over 204.4 mm and an orange alert indicates heavy to very heavy rain of 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) also informed that water from 12 dams in the state is being released in the wake of the ongoing rainfall.

Abhilash said that the rain gauge in CUSAT recorded 100 mm of rain in Kalamassery between 9.10 am and 10.10 am on Tuesday, according to media reports.

Heavy downpours in a small area in very little time are called cloud bursts. More than or equal to 100 mm of rain in an hour can be classified as cloud bursts.

Writer Leelavathi’s home damaged

Eminent Malayalam writer and literary critic M Leelavathi’s home in Kalamassery was damaged in heavy rains.

Hundreds of books, furniture, electronic equipment, and kitchen utensils in the two-story house were destroyed as flood water entered the building because of continuous rains.

The books and magazines, which were neatly arranged on the shelves and racks in various rooms of the house, were found floating in the water.

There was knee-deep water downstairs and the furniture was submerged.

The sight of several shields presented to the 96-year-old academician in these years, floating in flood waters was enough to disturb her admirers.

Leelavathi moved to her son’s house as the rain intensified and flood water began to enter the house, sources close to her said.

Also Read: Kerala homoeopathic doctor dies of rabies after avoiding treatment

Waterlogging in several places

Many narrow lanes and busy roads in Kochi and adjacent areas were submerged due to continuous downpours since early morning.

People could not venture out of their homes in many areas of the port city as roads were flooded. Vehicles were seen moving at snail’s pace on highways following the rain.

Normal life was hit in the Kakkanad-Infopark and Aluva-Edappally areas due to waterlogging. An uprooted tree fell on a state-run KSRTC bus at Thoppumpady in Kochi. Luckily, the passengers escaped unhurt.

Four shutters of Malankara Dam in Idukki district were raised following heavy rains, district authorities said. Intense rains caused mudslides and disrupted traffic on Erattupetta and Vagamon roads in the Kottayam district.

The city and rural areas of the capital district of Thiruvananthapuram have witnessed heavy rains since Monday night.

In nearby Neyyattinkara, a house was severely damaged after an uprooted tree fell on it during heavy rains accompanied by winds.

Nedumangadu, Neyyattinkara, Kattakkada, and Amboori areas, located in the high ranges of the district, received widespread rainfall.

Hill caved in at Papanasam

According to locals, a portion of a hill behind the famous Bali mandapam at Papanasam in nearby Varkala caved in because of heavy rains.

The eco-tourism centre in hill station Ponmudi was closed following bad weather.

With heavy rains continuing to lash rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram, the shutters of the Aruvikkara dam have been raised up to 90 cm, district authorities said.

As the shutters would be raised up to 150 cm in the wake of the intense downpour, people living nearby are advised to remain vigilant.

High tides and rough seas were witnessed in coastal areas, posing a threat to fishing vessels.

Two incidents of boat capsizing were also reported off the coasts of Muthalapozhi fishing hamlet, located about 30 kilometres away from the state capital.

In one incident, a fisherman died after his boat overturned due to high tidal waves this morning. Three others, who also fell into the sea, were rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital, police said.

(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with PTI inputs)