Orange alert in Idukki, Alappuzha & Ernakulam today

KOCHI: IMD has issued an orange alert (heavy rainfall of 11-20cm) for Alappuzha , Ernakulam and Idukki on Wednesday while declaring a red alert for Lakshadweep islands on Wednesday and Thursday. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur and Palakkad are on yellow alert, with a rainfall of 7-11cm on Wednesday. It also gave an advance orange alert warning in Malappuram and Kozhikode on Thursday.

IMD said this is happening because of the well-marked low-pressure area over Comorin area & adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean. It is likely to become a depression over Lakshadweep-Maldives areas and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea during the next 24 hours. It is likely to move northwest across Lakshadweep and intensify into a deep depression during the subsequent 24 hours.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the east-central Arabian Sea over the next 24 hours and the west-central part till November 2.

According to private agency Skymet Weather, the weather system will continue to move in a north-northwest direction initially, moving to Southeast Arabian Sea and may intensify further as conditions are favourable.

Thus, the fourth cyclone of this year in the Arabian Sea is all set for its formation. Oman has named it as Maha.

The previous cyclones that formed in the Arabian Sea were Vayu, Hikaa and Kyarr. Usually, the number of cyclones is more in the Bay of Bengal compared to the Arabian Sea. This year, however, the situation is different with the Arabian Sea already witnessing three cyclones.

Meanwhile, the super cyclonic storm ‘Kyarr’ in the Arabian Sea moved in a west-northwest direction and weakened. It is very likely to continue this path till Wednesday morning and likely to weaken further by month-end. On Tuesday, the northeast monsoon was weak over Kerala. Manjeri (Malappuram) got 2cm rain while Cial (Ernakulam), Thalassery received 1cm rain (each). Cial recorded the highest maximum temperature of 34 degrees while Vellanikkara and Punalur recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 22 degrees.