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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a red alert for four districts of Kerala, indicating extremely heavy rainfall of over 20 cm during the day.
The alert was issued in the northern districts of Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
Earlier in the day, the weather department had sounded an orange alert for seven districts, including the abovementioned four, as well as Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram. The alert will continue to be in effect for the latter three districts, which may see showers between 6 cm and 20 cm.
Further, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has predicted widespread rain in the state for the next five days, with chances of isolated thunder, lightning and strong winds.
This is due to the cyclonic circulation in and around Kerala as well as a low-pressure trough from north Kerala to Vidarbha region.
The Central Meteorological Department has predicted isolated heavy and very heavy rainfall showers in the state for the next two days and heavy rainfall on the two days after that.
Kerala has been experiencing heavy rainfall for the past few days and it has disrupted normal life in certain places of the state. Due to this, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has already deployed five teams to the state.
The neighbouring Karnataka is also reeling under heavy rains, with IMD sounding an orange alert in Bengaluru earlier in the day. The IMD has also forecasted more rain in the coastal and south interior places with thunder and storms.
Dr Geeta Agnihotri, the head of the meteorological department in Karnataka, has said that widespread rains may be seen in the coastal areas of the state for the next two days, followed by fairly widespread rains from 20 to 22 May.
“For north interior Karnataka, we are expecting widespread rains for the next two days, followed by fairly widespread rains on day three. While on days four and five, we are expecting scattered rains," said Agnihotri.
“For south interior Karnataka, widespread rains are expected for the next two days, followed by fairly widespread rains from day three to five. Heavy to very heavy rain is also expected in coastal Karnataka on Wednesday; heavy to very heavy rain on 19 May, followed by heavy rain on 20 May," she added.
This comes as heavy showers led to the death of two people in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
According to the weather department, many areas received 50 mm to 150 mm rain in the last 24 hours. Horamavu, Yelahanka, Vidyapeetha, Rajmahal, Nagapura, Sampangiramnagar, Vidyaranyapura, Banaswadi, Jakkur and Singasandra were among the worst-hit.
Scores of vehicles were submerged in the basements of some apartments in Horamavu, HSR Layout, Rajajinagar, Basaveshwaranagar and Neelasandra. There was waterlogging in many parts of the city, which also witnessed traffic snarls due to the torrential rainfall.