3 weeks ago
Red alert for seven Kerala districts amid heavy monsoon rains
Kerala is a state in India that gets a lot of rain during the monsoon season.
This Friday the rain was extremely heavy, so the weather office gave its most serious warning, a red alert, for seven districts.
A red alert means rain is falling very fast and the wind is blowing hard.
Because of the danger, schools and colleges were closed in eight districts so students could stay safe at home.
Some roads and fields are covered with floodwater, but in some parts of the state the water has started to go down slowly.
Low-lying areas called Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad are still under water, and many people are staying in relief camps.
The sea is also sending very big waves onto the coast, a phenomenon called Kallakkadal, which can push seawater onto the land.
People have been told not to go fishing in small boats or visit the beach until the warning ends.
The weather office says the wet weather will continue through Saturday, with improvement expected from Sunday.
IMD issued a morning red alert for seven Kerala districts — Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur and Kasaragod — with rainfall exceeding 15 mm per hour and gusts up to 50 kmph over the next three hours.
A separate Friday evening forecast bulletin listed a red alert for four districts — Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode — for extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 204.4 mm in 24 hours, contradicting the morning list.
Orange alerts covered Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad in the morning bulletin, while Article 4's evening bulletin named Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Malappuram.
Schools and universities were shut in eight districts: Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.
Floodwaters are receding in parts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha, but Upper Kuttanad and Kuttanad remain inundated; INCOIS warned of Kallakkadal swell waves of 1.1-1.5 metres along Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha coasts until 11.30 am.
- Who
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued the weather alerts, while INCOIS warned of the Kallakkadal swell wave; district administrations declared education holidays, and KSDMA advised precautions on strong winds and coastal residents and fishermen were urged to stay alert.
- What
- Heavy monsoon rain triggered red, orange and yellow alerts, school closures, flooding, and a Kallakkadal swell wave warning along the Kerala coast.
- Where
- Kerala and Lakshadweep, India, including the red-alert districts and the coastal stretches of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha.
- When
- Friday, August 7, 2026; the IMD nowcast bulletin was issued at 7 am with a three-hour red alert, the swell wave warning was in effect until 11.30 am, and the wet spell is expected to continue through Saturday with improvement from Sunday.
- Why
- Intense southwest monsoon rainfall, gusty winds of up to 50 kmph and high swell waves caused flooding and threatened sea incursion along the Kerala coast.
Key facts
- Date
- August 7, 2026
- Morning red-alert districts (nowcast)
- Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kannur, Kasaragod
- Evening red-alert districts (24-hour bulletin)
- Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode
- Orange-alert districts (morning)
- Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad
- Yellow-alert areas (morning)
- Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Lakshadweep
- Education holiday districts
- Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod
- Kallakkadal swell wave warning
- Waves of 1.1-1.5 metres along Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha coasts until 11.30 am
- Weather outlook
- Wet spell likely to continue through Saturday; gradual improvement expected from Sunday
Quotes
Sonam Wangchuk
Climate activist and former President of International Himalayan Union
“Some media houses had mistakenly reported yesterday that Devendra Nath Mahato ji had broken his hunger strike after my video call. This is to clarify that he only agreed to take water and salt after my call. His hunger strike continues as before with no food for the fifth day.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Heavy rain batters Kerala; IMD issues red alert for four districts
Heavy Rains Continue To Batter Kerala: Red Alert in 7 Districts
Rain likely to intensify across Kerala; IMD sounds red alert in seven districts
India News Live Updates, 7 August 2026: IMD warns of intense rain in Kerala; 7 districts under ‘red’ alert
Heavy rain batters Kerala; IMD issues red alert for seven districts
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