Yellow alert issued for several districts for Monday and Tuesday

With the deep depression in the southeast Bay of Bengal intensifying into the cyclonic storm ‘Fani,’ the State can expect strong winds and widespread rainfall over the next few days. Yellow alert signalling heavy rain has been issued for several districts for Monday and Tuesday.

Weather agencies have forecast ‘light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy rain at isolated places’ on Monday and Tuesday.

Starting Sunday, the State can also expect strong winds with speeds reaching 30-40 kmph and gusting to 50 kmph. By Monday and Tuesday, strong, squally winds with speed reaching 60 kmph are likely to lash the region, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

A heavy rainfall alert (yellow alert) has been issued for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur for Monday. The alert is valid for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad on Tuesday also.

The IMD has cautioned fishermen not to venture into the southeast Bay of Bengal, adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean and off the Sri Lanka coast on Sunday. They have also been asked to stay clear of southwest Bay of Bengal, along and off Sri Lanka, and the Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts from Monday to Wednesday.

Cyclone Fani is very likely to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm by Sunday evening, moving northwestwards off Sri Lanka coast and reaching near the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts by Tuesday.