As an intense low pressure system brews over southeast Arabian Sea; heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast in the State from Thursday.

With an intense low pressure system brewing over the southeast Arabian Sea, the Kerala government stepped up disaster preparedness at the district level even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in the State from Thursday.

The IMD has issued a red alert, signifying heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Kerala on Sunday. The weather office has also declared an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rainfall at places) for the State on October 4,5,6 and 8.

Squalls with wind speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph have been forecast over the Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area from October 6. The winds are expected to increase further over the region.

Fishermen warned

Fishermen have been warned not to venture out to sea from Saturday and those out on deep sea fishing expeditions advised to return to the coast.

A weather bulletin issued by the IMD on Thursday said the cyclonic circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea was likely to trigger the formation of a low pressure area on Friday with the potential to concentrate into a depression and intensify further into a cyclone moving towards Oman.

Dam managers informed

The executive committee of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, at a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday to review the weather situation, recommended closer coordination between dam managers and the district administration in downstream areas. The dam managers have been directed to inform and secure the consent of Collectors before opening the shutters to let out excess water.

The meeting issued directions to equip all dam sites under the KSEBL (Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd.) and the Water Resources Department with satellite phones for communication in emergency situations.

The meeting noted that the water storage in most of the dams operated by Tamil Nadu were near the maximum level and resolved to urge the Central Water Commission to ensure controlled discharge of water. The KSEBL was directed to keep the water level in the Kerala Sholayar dam at a mangeable level, taking into account the enhanced inflow from the heavy rainfall forecast for the next five days.

The committee also decided to monitor the position of the tides before releasing water from dams.

The meeting was informed that Coast Guard ships and aircraft had been pressed into service from October 1 to alert fishermen in the near shore areas of the Arabian Sea to the adverse weather conditions.