THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Overnight heavy rains that lashed various parts of Kerala continued on Saturday morning, inundating roads, uprooting trees, damaging houses in the process and throwing normal life into disarray in parts of the state.
A tree fell on a temporary shed, destroying it and killing a 29-year-old man sleeping under it in Thrissur's Manaloor, a fire and rescue services official said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in five districts -- Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod -- for the day.
It also issued an orange alert in six districts -- Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad -- and a yellow alert in the remaining three districts of the state for the day.
A red alert indicates an extremely heavy rainfall 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.
In view of the red alert, entry to tourist trekking spots and night travel on hilly roads as well as quarrying activities, have been prohibited in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts for the day.
Besides that, Saturday was declared a holiday for educational institutions in Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
The IMD also said that the southwest monsoon has reached most parts of the central-western and central-eastern Arabian Sea as well as parts of Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
It further said that due to a cyclonic circulation located over north Kerala, extremely heavy rainfall was likely in parts of Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram districts on June 6.
Besides that, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in parts of Kerala and Mahe from June 6 to 9, the weather department said.
Additionally, widespread rainfall with thunderstorms and strong winds of speeds reaching 40 to 50 kilometres per hour were likely in Kerala from June 6 to 10, the IMD said.
It cautioned fishermen to avoid fishing along the Kerala-Lakshadweep-Karnataka coasts from June 6 to 9 as strong winds of speeds reaching 40 to 60 kmph were likely along that region.