IMD Weather Today: 'Red' Alert For Heavy Rains In Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu As Severe Cyclonic Storm Nears Andhra

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall across several districts in Odisha and Kerala, while torrential downpours continue to disrupt normal life in Tamil Nadu.

With severe waterlogging, localised flooding, and emergency rescues already underway in the southern states, authorities are bracing for further impact over the coming days.

This comes as a depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression and is rapidly moving towards the eastern coast, threatening to unleash destructive winds and massive storm surges.

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According to the IMD's latest bulletin, the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a very severe cyclonic storm.

The system is projected to make landfall by the forenoon of October 28, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 115-125 kmph, gusting up to 140 kmph.

With the projected landfall area situated roughly 300 kilometres from Gopalpur, the Odisha government has issued a red alert for five vulnerable southern districts-Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri-for October 28.

These areas are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy downpours exceeding 20 cm, accompanied by gusty surface winds reaching 60-70 kmph.

As a precautionary measure, the chief minister has ordered the closure of all schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres in these districts on October 28 and 29.

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In Keralam, heavy rains have severely disrupted normal life, causing waterlogging in numerous low-lying areas. In response, the IMD on Sunday issued a stringent red alert (indicating over 20 cm of rain in 24 hours) for Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad districts.

Educational institutions and tourist destinations, including all adventure tourism and trekking locations, have been ordered shut in the red alert districts.

The IMD also issued an orange alert for 10 other districts-including Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Idukki-and a yellow alert for Kasaragod, forecasting strong winds at 40-50 kmph across the state.

Tamil Nadu lashed by heavy rains

Simultaneously, the northeast monsoon remains highly active over Tamil Nadu. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely in parts of the state on October 26 and 27, before scaling down to light or moderate showers over south Tamil Nadu on October 28.

An IMD official clarified that while the Bay of Bengal cyclone is unlikely to directly affect Tamil Nadu, the state's ongoing rainfall is driven by a trough associated with a cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep.

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The state has already recorded massive downpours, with Burliyar receiving 25 cm of rain, and Devikapuram and Nedungunam recording 20 cm and 18 cm, respectively.

The rains have triggered severe landslips in the ghat sections of the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal. Heavy machinery and sandbags have been deployed for restoration work, while the Coonnoor-Mettupalayam highway remains barred to traffic.

Meanwhile, in Cuddalore district, disaster response teams safely rescued nine workers who were stranded on an isolated patch of land in a swollen river.

(With PTI inputs)

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