With a cyclonic storm brewing in the south Bay of Bengal near Sri Lanka, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has issued a heavy rainfall warning for four districts on Monday.
A press note issued by the India Met Department on Thursday afternoon said the well-marked low-pressure system over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify into a cyclone over the next 48 hours and move northwestwards along and off the east coast of Sri Lanka near the north Tamil Nadu coast on April 30.
Under the influence of the anticipated cyclone, light to moderate rain is likely to commence over Kerala at a few places on Sunday. The intensity of the rain is likely to increase, with isolated heavy falls on Monday and Tuesday. The IMD has issued an yellow alert for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Malappuram districts on Monday.
Strong winds
The weather office has also warned of strong winds up to 50 kmph along the Kerala coast from April 26. Fishermen have been warned against venturing out to the equatorial Indian Ocean, adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and the Tamil Nadu coast during the period. Those at sea have been advised to return to the safety of the coast by Sunday before the sea turns rough.
The SDMA has also issued a landslip alert for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad districts.
Avoid night time
The public have been advised to avoid night-time travel along hilly roads in these districts and parking near vulnerable locations. Tourists have been asked to stay away from hill destinations and beaches and avoid crossing rivers and streams prone to flash floods.
Meanwhile, large parts of the coastal belt were battered by high swell waves for the second consecutive day on Thursday. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, has forecast rough sea in the nearshore areas along the Kerala coast till Friday midnight due to the effect of swell waves up to 2.4 m high.