Kerala weather news: Incessant rains disrupt life in city, submerge Kochi roads

After a brief lull, incessant rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several parts of Kerala on Tuesday, disrupting normal life.

Many narrow lanes and busy roads in Kochi and adjacent areas were submerged due to continuous downpour since early morning. People could not venture out of their homes in many areas of the port city as roads were flooded. Vehicles were seen moving at snail's pace on highways following the rains.

Normal life was hit in the Kakkanad-Infopark and Aluva-Edappally areas due to waterlogging. The city and rural areas of the capital district of Thiruvananthapuram witnessed heavy rains since Monday night. Trees were uprooted and streams were overflowing in villages of Thiruvananthapuram district. In nearby Neyyattinkara, a house was severely damaged after an uprooted tree fell on it during heavy rains accompanied by winds.

Nedumangadu, Neyyattinkara, Kattakkada, and Amboori areas, located in the high ranges of the district, received widespread rainfall. According to locals, a portion of a hill behind the famous Bali mandapam at Papanasam in nearby Varkala caved in because of heavy rains.

The eco-tourism centre in hill station Ponmudi was closed following bad weather. With heavy rains continuing to lash rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram, the shutters of Aruvikkara dam here have been raised up to 90 cm, district authorities said. As the shutters would be raised up to 150 cm in the wake of the intense downpour, people living nearby are advised to remain vigilant, they added. High tides and rough seas were reported in coastal areas, posing a threat to fishing vessels in these areas of the state.

Two incidents of boat capsizing were also reported off the coasts of Muthalapozhi fishing hamlet, located about 30 kilometres away from here. In one incident, a fisherman died after his boat overturned due to high tidal waves this morning.

Three others, who also fell into the sea, were rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital, police said. According to the latest update from the Indian Meteorological Department, moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm and gusty wind speeds reaching upto 40 kmph is likely to occur at one or two places in Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts on Tuesday. Moderate rainfall is expected at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Malappuram districts, while isolated light rainfall is predicted in Palakkad and Kannur districts, it said.