IMD issues orange alert for 10 districts in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 22 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Kerala's Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts on Wednesday.
The IMD had earlier placed Idukki, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts on red alert, but later withdrew it and placed them on orange alert.
A yellow alert has also been issued for Kasaragod, Kannur, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram, warning of isolated heavy rains today.
Due to heavy rain and strong winds, the district authorities have declared a holiday for educational institutions in Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram and Pathanamthitta on Wednesday. Night travel has been banned in the high-range district of Idukki.

Several parts of South India have been experiencing heavy rains as the northeast monsoon intensifies.
The well-marked low pressure area that lies over southwest Bay of Bengal off the Tamil Nadu coast brought torrential rains in several parts of Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said that the northeast monsoon is in full swing across the state, with continuous rainfall being reported in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts.
Speaking at a review meeting held at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai's Teynampet, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "The northeast monsoon is in full swing now. It's continuously raining in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts. It will not stop today, but the MeT Department has said it will rain again in two days and may even intensify. Predictions indicate that rainfall could be heavier than last year. Today's meeting is to discuss how to face such a situation if it arises."
The review meeting was held under the leadership of Minister for Municipal Administration K. N. Nehru and chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. According to party sources, the meeting focused on issuing guidelines related to the ongoing rain situation, precautionary measures, and relief activities to be carried out by DMK members in the field.
The Deputy Chief Minister also highlighted the state's preparedness to deal with rain-related challenges. "When I go for inspections, I see waterlogging in a few places due to continuous rainfall, but it drains within an hour. In some areas, people call me to visit their localities where water is stagnating. They don't call me angrily, but with a smile, because they have trust in us that their issues will be resolved. They call us because they want to get our government's and our Chief Minister's attention so that their problems are addressed. People trust us, and we must prove to them that we stand with them during these rains," he said. (ANI)