Kerala schools closed today, holiday announced in seven districts amid heavy rain

Considering the heavy rain lashing across Kerala, schools and colleges will remain closed in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. All CBSE, ICSE and state-board affiliated schools will observe holiday today. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for seven districts for the morning hours today.

As per latest bulletin issued at 7 am, a red alert has been issued for Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, forecasting heavy rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour accompanied by wind speeds of up to 50 kmph in gusts at isolated places over the next three hours.

Also read From Taboo to Textbook: Why India took two decades to say ‘Yes’ to sex education in school

The department has also issued orange alert for Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. All these Kerala districts are experiencing moderate rainfall between 5 mm and 15 mm per hour, along with gusty winds of up to 50 kmph.

Following the heavy rain, the district administrations in Ernakulam and Thrissur announced a holiday for educational institutions on Friday morning. Earlier, holidays had already been declared for educational institutions in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. Despite widespread rain, floodwaters have started receding in parts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.

Flooding continues in the Upper Kuttanad and Kuttanad regions of Alappuzha district, though water levels have started to recede, officials said. Coastal areas, meanwhile, remain affected by rough seas, sea intrusion and strong winds. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a warning for the 'Kallakkadal' (swell wave) phenomenon, forecasting waves between 1.1 metres and 1.5 metres that could trigger sea ingress along parts of the Kerala coast.

Also read Centre sat on a fifth of Samagra Shiksha funds every year; PM SHRI dues at 49% in 2025-26: Govt data

IMD issues orange alert in Delhi

Owing to continuous rainfall across national capital, IMD has issued an 'orange alert' and have forecasted heavy rainfall through the day. The minimum temperature settled at 25.6 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, the city's base station, 1.3 notches below normal. Station-wise data showed that at Palam, the minimum temperature was 23.2 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches below normal, while Lodhi Road recorded 25.2 degrees Celsius, 0.8 notch below normal. While there is no official announcement on school holiday, few schools have switched to online learning.

(With PTI inputs)