IMD issues yellow alert for heat in Kerala

Kochi: Even as dry weather continued to prevail in the state, IMD has issued a yellow alert for hot and humid weather in the state till Wednesday. Maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 40°C at isolated places in Palakkad and 39°C in Kollam. It is likely to be around 37°C at Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod and 36°C at Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram till Tuesday. On Monday, Palakkad recorded 39.2°C, which is 2.5 degrees above normal. Other places that recorded more than 2.5 degrees above normal temperatures included Punalur at 37.8°C, Kozhikode at 36.9°C and Kottayam at 36.5°C. Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is very likely to occur at one or two places over Kerala on Tuesday. KSDMA issues warning over fake heat messagesMeanwhile, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSMDA) has issued warning against the fake messages related to heat. "These messages are being circulated as if they are official warnings. Such fake campaigns are punishable under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, Section 54," said KSDMA member secretary Shekar Kuriakose. KSDMA said that a fake WhatsApp message is being circulated, claiming that from April 29 to May 12, temperatures will rise to around 45°C-55°C, advising people not to stand in open areas. The message warns that mobile phones may explode due to heat and instructs not to fill fuel tanks completely in cars. The message is being spread in the name of the civil defence department. "There is no civil defence department in Kerala. In Kerala, civil defence is a voluntary force functioning under the fire and rescue services," Kuriakose added. KSDMA urged people to only visit its official social media pages and website for notifications and warnings. IMD has not issued any forecast predicting temperatures of 54°C in Kerala, KSDA added. Meanwhile, IMD, in its long-range forecast issued on Monday, said that south peninsular region will have normal to above normal level rainfall in the state. There will be below normal rainfall over the country. Quantitatively, the southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country during 2026 is likely to be 92% of long period average (LPA), with a model error of 5%.