Friday, May 31, 2024 Kerala tourism faces a major blow as the IMD issues an urgent travel alert, warning of heavy rain and enforcing a night life ban amid rough sea conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted intense rainfall accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h in central Keralaals known as God’s Own Country, due to a cyclonic circulation in the southeast Arabian Sea. As per the IMD’s update at 10 pm on Friday, heavy rainfall is anticipated in Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam, with significant precipitation expected in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Thrissur, Kannur, and Kasaragod.
Strong westerly winds are expected along the Kerala coast, potentially causing rough seas near the shore from 5:30 pm on May 31, 2024, to 11:30 pm on June 1, 2024, due to high period swell waves with heights ranging from 0.5 to 2.3 meters, according to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services.
Earlier, the IMD had predicted widespread moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning across the state for the next week. An orange alert was issued for Idukki and Kozhikode districts, while a yellow alert was sounded for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, and Kannur districts. Fishing activities have been banned along the southern coast and Lakshadweep region, although no fishing ban has been issued for the Karnataka coast.
In response to the heavy rainfall, Idukki District Collector Sheeba George has order.
