The India Meteorological Department issued regular predictions about significant rainfall activity along the country’s western coast and had sounded a red alert for Kerala early on Wednesday, the weather agency’s chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Thursday, according to PTI.
Mohapatra’s statement came after the Kerala government alleged that the weather agency did not issue a red alert indicating chances of a landslide in the state on Tuesday, when heavy rain triggered two such incidents in the Meppadi area of Kerala’s Wayanad district, leaving at least 289 dead and several others missing.
Mohapatra said on Thursday that the weather agency had released extended-range forecasts on July 18 and July 25 to warn states about significant rainfall activity along the Konkan and Malabar coasts.
“The long-range forecast issued on July 25 indicated good rainfall activity along the west coast and central parts of the country from July 25 to August 1,” he said. “We issued a yellow warning on July 25, which continued until July 29, when we issued an orange warning. A red warning was issued in the early morning of July 30, indicating that very heavy rainfall, up to 20 cm, was expected.”
Mohapatra said that an orange alert means that authorities should “be prepared for action and one should not wait for red warnings”.
A red alert requires authorities to “take action” in view of an extreme weather event, while an orange alert means that the administration is expected to “be prepared”. A yellow alert means that authorities should “be updated” on the situation.
Mohapatra said on Thursday that similar warnings were also issued to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. An orange alert with a “lead time of two days” was issued for Delhi, which also saw heavy rain on Tuesday, he added.
Three persons died in Himachal Pradesh and six in Uttarakhand in rain-related incidents on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Delhi, at least four persons died on Wednesday due to drowning, electrocution and a building collapse as torrential rains hit the city.
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