The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in Kerala that is expected to continue until Sunday. A yellow alert has been declared for Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod for both Saturday and Sunday. The forecast predicts rainfall ranging between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm within the next 24 hours.
Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Center has reported high waves ranging from 1.9 to 2.3 meters along the Kerala coast, with dangerous sea conditions expected until 11:30 pm on Saturday.
In related news, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has addressed concerns about its warning system, particularly in the wake of the recent landslides in Wayanad. The GSI stated that its regional forecast bulletins for Wayanad were experimental and issued only once a day for ground testing. These bulletins are part of an ongoing effort to build a prediction model, which is expected to take 4-5 years to be fully operational for public use.
According to a GSI spokesperson, these forecasts are based on rainfall predictions provided by the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the IMD. The forecasts are intended for use by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to set landslide thresholds and gather feedback for model development.
