WAYANAD, DEC 2 (IANS) — All educational institutions in Kerala's Wayanad, including tuition centres, anganwadis, and professional colleges, will remain closed on Monday after a red alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
However, the holiday will not apply to Model Residential Schools, as stated by the District Collector's announcement.
The IMD has issued a red alert for four districts in Kerala -- Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, and Kannur - warning of extremely heavy rainfall and isolated heavy rains on Monday.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has also issued a caution about potential waterlogging and traffic congestion.
"Rainfall activity will increase with light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy at isolated places on December 2 and heavy rainfall at isolated places on December 3," the IMD said in a bulletin.
Additionally, the IMD has issued alerts for other districts in Kerala, an orange alert for Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur, and a yellow alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Palakkad, and several northern districts.
According to the IMD's alert system, a red alert denotes rainfall exceeding 20 cm in 24 hours, an orange alert indicates 11-20 cm of rainfall, and a yellow alert signals heavy rainfall ranging from 6-11 cm.
In view of heavy rainfall due to cyclone Fengal, a holiday has been declared for Monday in all the government and government-aided schools, private schools, and all colleges in Puducherry, said the Union Territory's Education Minister A. Namachivayam on Sunday.
A holiday has also been declared in schools and colleges of Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore, and Ranipet districts of Tamil Nadu.
The announcement has been made by the respective local administrations given the bad weather conditions caused due to the effects of Cyclone Fengal. Heavy rainfall has been recorded in several parts of Tamil Nadu since Saturday morning.
Cyclone Fengal made landfall on the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Saturday.