Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashed many parts of the State for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, hitting normal life in northern and central Kerala and high-range areas.
As many as four rain-related deaths were confirmed on the day, although the intensity of the rain subsided. A 30-year-old man who sustained serious injuries after a tree fell on him near Mattancherry bridge in Alappuzha municipality died on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Unais of Arattuvazhi in Alappuzha municipality.
A 23-year-old youth, identified as Saneesh, a resident of Mankulam in Idukki, drowned after he slipped into a river. In another incident, a 45-year-old fisherman, identified as Aloysius of Arthi, died after his boat capsized in sea at Maryanad in Thiruvananthapuram. The body of Rajesh who went missing at Muthukunni in Palakkad on Tuesday while collecting coconut from a river was retrieved on Wednesday.
Scores of trees got uprooted and fell on homes at Kuttiyadi in a whirlwind that lasted a few minutes in the morning. In Alappuzha waterlogging continued unabated in low-lying areas, including upper Kuttanad and Kuttanad, due to rising water level in rivers.
Water level in all major rivers in the region, including the Pampa, Achencoil and Manimala, remained high. A 16-member National Disaster Response Force team was deployed in Thalavady in the district.
A house and a prayer hall were partially damaged following a landslip in Kottayam on Wednesday. As many as 474 people from 143 families have been shifted to 31 relief camps in the State so far.
The increased rainfall activity is likely to continue for the next five days. Further, a fresh low pressure area is likely to form over the west central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal by Friday.
The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for 10 districts from Kottayam to Kasaragod for Thursday, warning of very heavy rain, and a yellow alert for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha, forecasting heavy rain.
Squally weather with wind speed of 35 kmph to 45 kmph and gusting to 55 kmph is likely to prevail along and off the Kerala coast. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Ayyankunnu in Kannur recorded the highest rainfall of 14 cm in the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, followed by Padamala in Wayanad 13 cm, and Aralam in Kannur 12 cm.
