Thiruvananthapuram, 23 Sept (H.S.): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast rain across parts of Kerala from September 18 to 20, 2026, and issued yellow alerts for districts where isolated heavy showers were expected.

Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki were placed under a yellow alert for Friday, September 18. The alert covered Kottayam, Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode on Saturday, before shifting to Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam on Sunday.

The forecast indicated that some areas could receive rain accompanied by thunderstorms, while isolated places could experience heavy rainfall. The IMD classifies rainfall of 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm within 24 hours as heavy rain.

Kottayam and Idukki appeared on the alert list for all three days. Alappuzha was listed only for Friday, while Malappuram and Kozhikode were added for Saturday. Ernakulam was included in Sunday’s alert.

The warnings applied to the specified districts, but the forecast of heavy rain was for isolated locations within them. Rainfall could therefore vary considerably from one area to another. The department also said thunderstorms were possible at isolated places in the state throughout the three-day period.

A yellow alert calls for residents to stay aware of changing weather conditions, particularly where thunderstorms develop or short spells of heavy rain occur. People travelling through affected districts would need to follow updated forecasts as local conditions change.

The district alerts formed part of the IMD’s five-day rainfall forecast. The forecast provided alerts through Sunday, September 20, but did not identify additional districts under a yellow alert in the information released here.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman