Torrential rains and strong winds lashed Kerala on Tuesday, resulting in the unfortunate loss of four lives, widespread flooding in low-lying areas, and severe disruptions in normal life across the state.

Several parts of Kochi came to a standstill as a spell of heavy, incessant rain, akin to a cloudburst, accompanied by strong winds lasted for a couple of hours on Tuesday morning. The episode left roads and houses in many pockets inundated, damaged three houses partially and left motorists stranded across Kochi city as traffic came to a grinding halt.

“It was a real cloudburst in Kalamassery. The rain gauge at Cusat recorded 98.5 mm rainfall between 9.10 am and 10.10 am,” said S Abhilash, Director of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research.

Due to severe waterlogging, traffic on almost all roads was disrupted. Long traffic jams were witnessed on key highways such as Edappally, Vyttila, Kaloor, Tripunithura, and Kadavanthra.

The Kalamassery municipality area received 150 mm of rainfall during a three-hour period, while Palluruthy received 98 mm, Choondi 54 mm, and Mattancherry 34.5 mm of rainfall during the period. The IT hub at Infopark Kochi at Thrikkakara was one of the worst affected as the campus and roads leading to the park were fully flooded.

Five fishermen who ventured into the sea on Tuesday morning had a miraculous escape in Kochi after their boat capsized due to rough sea conditions. On Tuesday morning, an inboard engine country craft, which had ventured into the sea for fishing, was caught in high waves and capsized near the Saude church between Fort Kochi and Kannamali. The fishermen, initially caught in the waves, managed to swim safely.

Heavy rains wreaked havoc in Kottayam, causing extensive damage in various areas. Torrential rains triggered landslides near Bharananganam village on Tuesday, resulting in widespread damages, including the destruction of seven houses. Besides, landslides destroyed two houses in Thalanadu. However, no casualties were reported. Low-lying areas from Kanjirappally to Erattupetta got flooded in the rains. The Meenachil river is on the brink of overflowing. Many families were moved to shelter homes in this region.

As the rain intensified, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Kottayam and Ernakulam districts on Tuesday. An orange alert was sounded in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Idukki districts, while a yellow alert was sounded in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode districts.

In Kollam, heavy rain led to the submergence of over 200 houses in low-lying areas such as Maruthadi, Mangad, and Sakthikulangara, with the downpour persisting since Sunday night.

Four deaths were reported in rain-related accidents in Kerala on Tuesday. In Ernakulam, a student, identified as Eldhose (15), drowned in a canal at Vengoor while bathing. In Alappuzha, Aravind from Anchuthengu was killed when a coconut tree fell on him during gusty winds and rain. A 14-year-old boy, Sinan, drowned in a river at Kanhangad in Kasaragod. In Muthalapozhi, a fisherman lost his life when his fishing boat capsized due to high tidal waves on Tuesday. Two other individuals sustained injuries in the incident.

The city and rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram have witnessed heavy rains since Monday night. In nearby Neyyattinkara, a house was severely damaged after an uprooted tree fell on it during heavy rains accompanied by winds. Nedumangadu, Neyyattinkara, Kattakkada, and Amboori areas received widespread rainfall.

In Alappuzha, rains inundated over two hundred houses in different taluks.