Kochi, Aug 08, 2019 : As heavy rainfall continued to wreak havoc in Kerala, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a red alert in Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts for August 8. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has also issued an orange alert issued for Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasargod, for Thursday. In its weather bulletin, the IMD said that these three districts are likely to get extremely heavy rainfall of over 240 mm in 24 hours and may experience landslides, Yahoo.
In the wake of the heavy downpour in the state, several places in Malappuram District are under water with some villages being isolated. Reports inform that heavy crop damage was also reported from various parts of the state. The Palakkad District also received heavy rains.
According to reports, the Malappuram district collector, in a Facebook post has announced holiday on Thursday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Anganwadi and Madrasas located in the northern Kerala district. The release also said the examinations will happen as scheduled earlier. The floodgates were opened in the dams in neighbouring Maharashtra and barrages and dams in Karnataka, where road and rail links remain affected.