Met Office issues orange alert in 2 districts as heavy rains batter Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 22 (PTI) As heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued an orange alert in two districts of the state.

The IMD issued the orange alert for the day in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta.

It also issued a yellow alert in all the remaining districts, except Kannur and Kasaragod, of the state.

The IMD predicted that cyclonic circulations over Tamil Nadu were likely to cause moderate to medium rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning in Kerala during the next five days.

It also said there was a possibility of heavy rains in isolated places in the state between November 22-24.

The heavy rains on Tuesday had inconvenienced the thousands of devotees trudging up to the hill-top shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district as part of a pilgrimage during the two-month long annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku period.

The rains had also led to flooding of many roads and hilly areas of Thiruvananthapuram district.

An orange alert means very heavy rains from 12 cm to 20 cm of rain and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm. (PTI)