Cyclone Tauktae: High tidal waves wreaked havoc on the state's coast and the rising water levels in various dams in Central Kerala prompted authorities to sound alert warnings before opening the gates.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued orange alerts indicating heavy to very heavy rain on Sunday in Ernakulam, Idukki and Malappuram districts.

Hundreds of families living in coastal areas and low lying areas of the state have been shifted to relief camps with the help of the Indian Navy. Besides Chellanam in Ernakulam district, rough sea and high tidal waves had wreaked havoc in Kaipamangalam, Chavakkad and Kodungallur in Thrissur, Pallithura in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrikkannapuzha in Alappuzha and Beypore and Koyilandy in Kozhikode districts. Many houses were damaged in coastal belts as seawater seeped in, following high waves due to Cyclone Tauktae in at least nine districts.

People were shifted to relief camps in various districts, with COVID-19 protocols in place as some of the places were under triple lockdown.

Triple lockdown in four districts

Just before the onset of Cyclone Tauktae the Kerala Government on Friday extended the lockdown in the state till May 23. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also said that an enhanced ' triple lockdown' will be imposed in four districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram, where the test positivity rate was recorded at 25.61%.

The boundaries of these four districts were sealed as part of the administration's effort to curb the massive spread of coronavirus, while the current lockdown will continue in the other 10 districts of the state. Kerala on Sunday recorded 29,704 fresh Covid-19 cases. With 89 new fatalities, the death toll went up to 6,428.

Meanwhile the Indian Meteorological Department has said that ' very severe Cyclone Tauktae has intensified in the Arabian Sea. IMD predicts that it will cross the Gujarat and Diu coasts on May 18.

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” over Eastcentral Arabian Sea intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: Cyclone Warning & post landfall outlook for Gujarat & Diu coasts (Red message).https://t.co/nIG8rzj9Vh pic.twitter.com/DAJCsnuRVw
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 17, 2021