Southern Kerala experienced significant disruption to daily life on Friday morning as intense rainfall caused widespread flooding in low-lying regions across the state.
In the capital city, roads and residential areas were inundated, leaving commuters and pedestrians no option but to navigate through deep floodwaters. The accumulated stormwater lingered for several hours before gradually receding.
Beyond Thiruvananthapuram, the districts of Pathanamthitta and Idukki also witnessed significant disarray due to the incessant downpour. This heavy rainfall surge, occurring towards the end of the monsoon season, has been attributed to a low-pressure area developing over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts this system will likely evolve into a depression, making landfall along the South Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts by Saturday morning.
While Thursday and Friday saw the southern and some central parts of Kerala bearing the brunt of the rain, the focus is now shifting. Central and northern regions of the state are expected to experience substantial rainfall over Saturday and Sunday as the weather system progresses.
As the weather system moves further away from the Arabian Sea coastline, the intensity of the rainfall is anticipated to decrease progressively.
In response to the forecast, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Saturday, signaling ‘very heavy rainfall’ (ranging from 115.5 mm to 204.4 mm within 24 hours) for the districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Wayanad. Additionally, a yellow alert indicating ‘heavy rainfall’ has been declared for Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Idukki. The districts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Wayanad will also remain under a yellow alert on Sunday.
Among the affected areas, Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district registered the highest rainfall, with a staggering 17 cm recorded in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 a.m. on Friday. Thiruvananthapuram itself received 15 cm, while Peerumade in Idukki and Lower Sholayar in Thrissur each measured 14 cm. Other areas like Pirappancode (Thiruvananthapuram), Karumadi (Alappuzha), and Chacka (Thiruvananthapuram) also reported substantial rainfall of 11 cm.
Due to the relentless downpour and a significant rise in water levels, the Irrigation Department has issued a yellow alert for the Achancoil river, specifically at the Konni G D station.
In light of the hazardous conditions, popular ecotourism destinations including Ponmudi and Mankayam have been temporarily closed to the public starting Friday, and will remain inaccessible until further announcements, as confirmed by the Divisional Forest Officer in Thiruvananthapuram.
Looking ahead, meteorologists anticipate the formation of yet another low-pressure area over the north and central Bay of Bengal around October 1. However, it is currently too soon to accurately predict its trajectory and potential influence on the ongoing monsoon activity along the Kerala coast.