Heavy rains in Kerala inundate state capital, cause mudslides in Idukki's hilly areas

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 26 (PTI) Heavy rains lashed various parts of Kerala on Friday, causing waterlogging of roads and flooding of houses and shops in various parts of the state, especially the capital city.

Rains also caused mudslides in some hilly areas of Idukki district, according to visuals on TV channels.

In the state capital, many roads were inundated and water also flowed into houses and shops on the roadside and near water bodies.

The heavy rains also prompted the Thiruvananthapuram District Collector to declare a holiday for educational institutions in the district for the day.

In Idukki, rains caused mudslides in some hilly areas and crop loss.

Waterlogging of roads and low-lying areas were witnessed in parts of Pathanamthitta district as well.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki for the day.

It also issued a yellow alert in Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts for the day.

The IMD also predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate rainfall with surface wind speed reaching 40 kmph in several parts of the state during the day.

An orange alert denotes "very heavy" rainfall of 11 to 20 cm, while a yellow alert signals "heavy rain" between 6 and 10 cm. PTI HMP HMP KH