Rain, gusty wind inflict heavy damage on Kerala

Heavy rain accompanied by gusty wind continued to wreak havoc across the State. A strong whirlwind struck Valiyannur in Kannur around 7 a.m. on Thursday, damaging houses and crops.

Roofs of buildings were blown off, and numerous trees were uprooted as the storm moved from Munderi to Elayavoor South. The impact was severe in Mattannur, where fallen trees blocked roads and disrupted traffic for hours. Elayavoor, already battered by whirlwind a day before, witnessed further destruction.

A 19-year-old youth identified as Sreejith Manoj, a resident of Kurichy in Kottayam, died after a tree fell on a parked vehicle at the check-post on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Kumily, Idukki, on Thursday evening. Seven people had a narrow escape when a Layam (cluster home) was destroyed after a tree fell on it at Wallardie, near Vandiperiyar, in Idukki. Two parked autorickshaws in front of the Layam were also destroyed, while 112 houses were destroyed due to rain-related incidents in the hill district.

Holiday in Kottayam

In Kottayam, several houses in the northern and upper Kuttanad villages were inundated as river levels surge, prompting emergency evacuations by authorities. The district administration has declared a holiday for all educational institutions in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta on Friday. Water levels in all major reservoirs have risen sharply, forcing officials to open the shutters of the Moozhiyar dam and Maniyar barrage.

In Kannur, with increased water inflow, the authorities opened 14 of the 16 spillway shutters of the Pazhassi dam. The shutters of Ponmudi, Pambla, Kallarkutty and Malankara dams in Idukki were also opened. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for three districts — Idukki, Kannur, and Kasaragod — warning of extreme heavy rainfall and an orange alert for the remaining districts forecasting very heavy rains on Friday.

Rivers’ water level rises

In the wake of rising water levels in major rivers, an orange alert has been in force for the Manimala river in Pathanamthitta, Meenachil in Kottayam, Korappuzha in Kozhikode, Achencoil in Pathanamthitta, and Kabani in Wayanad. People living on the banks of these rivers should be cautious and should not enter or cross the rivers, said the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. The State administration has so far shifted 1,329 people from 395 families to 51 relief camps opened in various districts.

High swell waves

Coastal communities have been advised to remain vigilant with close to half of the Kerala being put on red alert for high-energy swell waves. High waves in the range of 3.5 - 3.7 metres are forecast by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) till Friday. Small vessels should not ply and nearshore recreation activities should be suspended, it has said. Erosion/wave surges are possible in districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, and Thrissur.

Published - May 29, 2025 09:19 pm IST