Southwest monsoon rainfall continues to lash Kerala

Strong winds have toppled trees and snapped tree branches in many places across the State, damaging overhead power lines and disrupting traffic. | Photo Credit: H. VIBHU

The southwest monsoon rainfall continued to lash most parts of Kerala on Friday (may 30, 2025) morning, causing waterlogging and damage to property and prompting the the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue heavy rainfall alerts for all districts.

Three districts – Kasaragod, Kannur and Idukki – are on red alert for extremely heavy rainfall (above 20 cm in a 24-hour period). The 11 remaining districts, including the capital Thiruvananthapuram, are on orange alert for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (11.5 cm to 20.4 cm in 24-hours).

Strong winds have toppled trees and snapped tree branches in many places across the State, damaging overhead power lines and disrupting traffic. Given the extreme weather conditions over Kerala, the IMD has also been issuing Nowcast alerts for three-hour periods for the districts.

There were also reports that the one of the two fishers who had gone missing in the sea off Thiruvananthapuram was recovered on Friday morning. Search is on for one missing man.

Several trains are also running late on account of the heavy rainfall.

In a Thursday evening update, the state-run Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had pegged the losses to its power distribution wing on account of snapped power lines, damaged electric poles and transformers at ₹120.81 crore. As many as 2,190 high-tension electric poles and 16,366 low-tension electric poles have sustained heavy damages in the rain havoc reported in the southern State over the past several days.

The IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram said in a morning update that the Southwest monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala. Rain occurred at most places in Kerala and also the Lakshadweep Islands. Kudulu in Kasaragod district recorded 20 cm of rainfall, followed by Vadakara in Kozhikode district (19 cm). Hosdurg and Bayar in Kasaragod receoved 17 cm, while Peringome in Kannur and Padannakkad and Muliyar in Kasaragoid received 15 cm each.

The southwest monsoon had set in over Kerala early this year (May 24), bringing heavy rainfall and gusting winds. As per the latest rainfall updates, Kerala has received 96% excess rainfall during the period from March 1 to May 29, which also accounts for the summer rainfall period. This is a ‘large excess’ in IMD parlance.

Published - May 30, 2025 10:59 am IST