DINDIGUL: TAMIL NADU: 18/10/2025: Owing to heavy rain, surplus water being launched to Kerala area from Mullaperiyar Dam at Thekkady in Kerala, on Saturday, 18 October 2025. Image: Handout_e_mail/ The Hindu.|Image Credit: HANDOUT_E_MAIL
Heavy rains lashed numerous parts of Kerala on Saturday, triggering inundation of low-lying locations and an increase in water level in tanks, consisting of Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki, triggering authorities to raise its shutters to launch excess water.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), light to moderate rains or thundershowers are most likely throughout the state over the next 7 days.
The weather condition firm released an orange alert in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, and Kottayam districts on Saturday.
A comparable alert was released for Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts on Sunday. An orange alert shows “very heavy rainfall” varying in between 11 and 20 cm in 24 hours.
On Friday night, heavy rain in Idukki district activated flooding in Kumily, Nedumkanadam and Kattappana, where water went into numerous homes and locals were left overnight, authorities stated.
Around 45 households were moved to safe locations on Saturday, authorities stated. A parked van was gotten rid of at Nedumkandam as the water level increased in the Kootar River, according to tv visuals.
High-range locations of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode districts saw heavy rains, resulting in flooding of roadways.
IMD stated that separated heavy rains is anticipated in the state in between October 18 and 24, with the possibility of extremely heavy rains at separated put on October 18 and 19.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and wind speeds of 30– 40 kmph are most likely throughout the next 5 days, the IMD stated.
An IMD declaration stated a low-pressure location that had actually formed over the southeast Arabian Sea and adjacent Lakshadweep area, near the Kerala– Karnataka coast, has actually magnified into a well-marked low-pressure location.
It is most likely to move west-northwestwards and reinforce into an anxiety within the next 36 hours.
A cyclonic flow continues over the Mannar Strait area, while another lies over the south Andaman Sea and adjacent southeast Bay of Bengal. “Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal around October 21,” the IMD stated.
It likewise cautioned anglers along the coasts of Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Karnataka to prevent venturing into the sea till October 22, as strong winds of 35– 45 kmph, gusting approximately 55 kmph, are most likely over the seaside area.
Following constant heavy rains, water levels in numerous dams throughout Idukki have actually increased, triggering authorities to launch water, the district administration stated.
The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department, which handles the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki, released an alert. All 13 shutters of the dam were opened by 1 pm, launching 7,163 cusecs of water.
The water level taped at the dam at that time was 138.80 feet, above the allowable limitation of 137 feet.
As a preventive step versus increasing water levels, the shutters of the Kallarkutty dam were likewise raised, launching around 500 cusecs of water.
In addition, 4 shutters of the Kallar dam were raised by 60 cm on Saturday early morning, launching 1,063 cusecs of water.
Authorities have actually informed individuals living along the banks of the Kallar and Chinnar rivers about possible flooding.
4 shutters of the Malankara diversion dam likewise stay open.
The inflow to the dam depends upon the water launched after power generation at the Kerala State Electricity Board’s Moolamattom plant.
The water level at the Idukki tank, the biggest dam in the state, stood at 2,381.92 feet at 7 am on Saturday, with a live storage of 75.80 percent, authorities stated.
All the shutters of the dam stay closed.
Released on October 18, 2025
