Thiruvananthapuram, 02 Nov (H.S.):

Heavy rain is likely to lash parts of Kerala until Wednesday under the influence of a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing yellow alerts for six districts on Monday.

Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod have been placed on yellow alert, indicating the possibility of isolated heavy rainfall. Northern Kerala is expected to receive comparatively heavier showers during the spell.

The rain warning will cover Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode will remain under a heavy rainfall warning, according to the forecast.

The IMD defines heavy rainfall as precipitation ranging from 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm within 24 hours. The forecast points to isolated spells of this intensity rather than uniformly heavy rain across all areas of the districts concerned.

The cyclone is expected to cross the southern Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narasapur during the period from midnight on Monday to 4 a.m. on Tuesday. According to the weather department, it is likely to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds reaching up to 120 kmph.

Although Kerala is not expected to face the cyclone’s direct impact, the associated weather conditions could bring heavy showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning to several parts of the State over the next two to three days.

The forecast indicates that the rainfall risk will remain concentrated in the northern districts initially, before extending to parts of central and southern Kerala by Wednesday.

The district-wise warnings reflect a shifting pattern of rainfall during the three-day period. Kozhikode features in the warnings for all three days, while Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod are covered on both Monday and Tuesday. Malappuram has been included in the alerts issued for Monday and again for Wednesday.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman