Rivers, dams swell after heavy overnight rains; IMD issues red alert in 3 districts of Kerala

Overnight heavy rains caused waterlogging in roads and low-lying areas in many parts of Kerala and water levels of several rivers and dams in the state rose on Tuesday.

As the heavy rains continued in the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts for the day.

It also issued an orange alert in five other districts and a yellow alert in the remaining six districts for the day.

A red alert indicates an extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

Many dams operated for power generation and irrigation services in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts were at the 'third stage of alert' in view of the rise in their water levels.

In Kochi, a private taxi fell into an open canal alongside a road as the area was completely waterlogged due to the heavy rains. The driver was using a navigation tool and could not see the canal alongside the road, which was submerged in rainwater, police said.