Houses are flooded due to the incessant rains
© Albin Mathew, EPSHouses are flooded due to the incessant rains at Chellanam in Kochi.
With the Tauktae cyclone expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert in nine districts in Kerala on Saturday. Heavy rain has been lashing Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts from Friday evening.

The districts may receive more than 20 cm rainfall in 24 hours. Meanwhile, the sea continue to be very rough and huge tidal waves are battering the coastal hamlets displacing hundreds of families. The stormy weather is expected to continue till Sunday evening.

The water level is rising in rivers and the Central Water Commission has issued a flood alert on the banks of Manimala and Achankovil rivers.



Fiery waves brought down a two-storeyed house at Moosodi beach of Mangalpady panchayat. Five houses in the area are in danger of collapse and the inmates have been evacuated.

Raja, 50, a farmer at Vattavada panchayat in Idukki district died due to cardiac arrest as the family could not shift him to a hospital due to inclement weather. Heavy rain and strong winds have battered the area from Friday evening which uprooted trees and snapped power lines. Raja could not be shifted to a hospital as fallen trees had blocked the road.

In Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, the bunds of paddy fields were broken due to heavy flow of flood water. The flood gates of Malankara, Lower Periyar, Kallarkutty, Bhoothathan Kettu and Arkuvikkara dams have been opened folowing steep rise in inflow.

The Coast Guard rescued three fishermen who were caught in the rough sea off Thalassery coast.