Heavy rain batters Kerala, flash flood warnings and IMD alert
Kerala has been hit with heavy rain since August 2, leading to flash flood warnings and major disruptions across the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for the entire state on Monday, warning of isolated heavy rainfall.
Separately, a warning was issued for south and central Kerala forecasting heavy rain with strong surface winds up to 40km/h from Sunday midnight to Monday morning.
With schools closed in 12 areas, including Thrissur and Idukki, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is holding an emergency online meeting at 10am to plan relief efforts.
Travel restrictions, mudslides and outages
The rainfall has caused traffic controls for Sabarimala pilgrims at Erumeli and Nilakkal, while mudslides in Idukki have blocked roads and uprooted trees have knocked out power.
Night travel on the Neryamangalam-Adimali stretch is banned due to landslide risks, and water levels are rising after the Kakkayam Dam shutters were opened in Kozhikode.