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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall in the state’s Idukki, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad districts for August 7, 2020.
Extremely heavy rain was forecast in Idukki, Palakkad, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for the next two days. This was because of the emergence of a strong south-westerly / westerly monsoonal flow over the Arabian Sea, at winds speeds of 50-60 kilometres per hour, off the Karnataka and Kerala coasts at lower tropospheric levels.
Moderate rain with gusty wind speed of 40 kmph is likely in a few areas in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts over the next three hours, the IMD said. There were also reports of landslides in several parts of Idukki district, with people feared dead or trapped inside.
Heavy rain lashed Kerala for the past three days. A temple in Aluva was reportedly submerged because of a rise in water levels in the Periyar.
Water level in the Idukki and Mullaperiyar dams increased because of the incessant rain as well.
The storage in Mullaperiyar dam shot up 91 per cent August 7 compared to 39 per cent August 1. Similarly, storage in Idukki dam increased 49 per cent, compared to 35 per cent August 1.
The Bhavani river at Kottathara in Palakkad district flowed at the danger mark due to extremely heavy rain in the neighbouring Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. The Bharathapuzha river in Palakkad district neared the danger mark, according to the Central Water Commission (CWC).
River levels were likely to rise depending on the intensity of rainfall, said a statement from the CWC. “There is heavy to very heavy rain in north Kerala and at the Periyar basin. There are increased inflows into Idukki and Edamalayar dams,” the CWC said.
These inflows were likely to continue as rain was expected to continue for the next three-four days, according to the CWC.