Heavy rain to persist in Kerala; IMD issues yellow alert for multiple districts

Kerala braced for another spell of turbulent skies on Sunday as heavy rain, crackling lightning and thunder, and winds touching 40 kmph swept across the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) widened its alerts, warning that a strengthening cyclonic circulation brewing over the southeast Arabian Sea would keep the weather on edge for days.

A yellow alert now blankets seven districts — Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam — signalling a sustained period of wet, restless weather. The classification, issued when 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm of rain is expected in 24 hours, is a cautionary marker for residents and authorities to remain vigilant.

According to the IMD, the skies will continue their rumbling display until 26 November, with thunderstorms and intense bursts of rain likely across much of the state. The agency’s latest bulletin forecasts heavy rainfall of 7–11 cm at isolated places between 22 and 26 November — a warning echoed for Lakshadweep as well, where similar conditions are expected on 22 and 23 November.

The timing has cast a shadow over the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season. Devotees making their way to Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilakkal have been urged to tread carefully, with slippery forest paths, waterlogged stretches and misty, low-visibility conditions posing challenges along the sacred route.

Out at sea, the mood is equally restless. The IMD has sounded stern warnings to the marine community, advising fisherfolk along the Kerala and Lakshadweep coasts to stay ashore from Sunday to Tuesday as winds strengthen to 35–55 kmph and the sea churns into hazardous swells. Deep-sea vessels already offshore have been instructed to head for the nearest harbour by Tuesday. Similar warnings extend to the South Tamil Nadu coast, the Gulf of Mannar, the Comorin area, the Andaman Sea and parts of the Bay of Bengal until Wednesday, where the evolving system may whip up wave activity.

The days ahead will see a patchwork of yellow alerts across the state:
• 23 November: Alerts for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki
• 24 November: Alerts for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Palakkad and Malappuram
• 25 November: Alerts for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki
• 26 November: Alerts repeated for all except Palakkad and Malappuram

As the monsoon’s late-season fury unfurls over the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea shivers under unstable winds, Kerala readies itself for several more days of brooding clouds, swelling rivers and rain-soaked landscapes. Authorities remain on high watch as the state leans into the coming weather spell.

With IANS inputs