Heavy rains continue in Kerala as IMD issues orange alert in two districts of state

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Heavy rains continued to lash several parts of Kerala as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued an orange alert for two districts of the state, reported the PTI.

The IMD sounded orange alerts in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts of the state, for the day.

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It said that due to a cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Arabian Sea and South Kerala coast, the state would receive heavy rainfall between August 15 to 19.

The IMD also issued yellow alerts in the remaining 12 districts of Kerala for the day.

An orange alert means very heavy rain (6 cm to 20 cm) and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 to 11 cm.

The IMD also issued an orange alert in Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts for Friday.

It warned against going fishing in the Kerala - Lakshadweep - Karnataka coastal region from August 15 to 19, citing chances of strong winds and bad weather conditions.

Kerala CM Vijayan highlights impact of Wayanad landslides in I-Day speech

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan acknowledged the impact of the recent landslides that hit Wayanad and criticised the lack of a precise disaster warning system in the country while addressing the state on the occasion of 78th Independence Day celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram, reported the ANI.

During his address on Thursday, the Kerala CM also emphasised collective efforts for the overall resilience and recovery of the state. While expressing sorrow, the Chief Minister urged citizens to move beyond their grief and focus on collective resilience and recovery, as per the ANI.

"Today, we celebrate India's 78th Independence Day in an atmosphere of profound sorrow due to the Wayanad disaster. This grief is not limited to Kerala alone; the entire nation shares in this pain. However, we cannot afford to be paralyzed by sorrow. We must rise above the adversity and focus on collective efforts for the overall resilience and recovery of our state," he said, according to the PTI.

The Chief Minister said that the need for precise predictions has been demonstrated by numerous previous experiences. He also urged the country to take necessary steps to rise to that level of preparedness.

"Even though we boast of achievements in science and technology, it's troubling that, even in the 21st century, our country still struggles to accurately predict natural disasters and establish effective defences to protect lives and property. The need for precise predictions, rather than general warnings, has been demonstrated by numerous experiences worldwide," CM Vijayan said, the news agency reported on Thursday.

(with PTI and ANI inputs)