India Meteorological Department issues heavy rain alerts, school closures

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a series of weather warnings across several Indian states. Red alerts were declared for districts in Kerala and Gujarat, while orange and yellow alerts cover parts of Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The alerts warn of intense rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds that could cause flash floods, landslides and road disruptions.

In response, local authorities have taken precautionary measures. School and college holidays were announced in Wayanad and Ernakulam districts of Kerala, in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, and in other affected areas. The Wayanad District Collector ordered a holiday for all educational institutions except residential schools, while the Dakshina Kannada District magistrate ordered a district‑wide shutdown of schools, pre‑university colleges and vocational institutes.

The Gujarat red warning prompted the Navsari district administration, led by Collector Manish Gurwani, to relocate more than 9,200 residents to safe locations after heavy rainfall caused rivers to rise above danger levels. In Arunachal Pradesh, heavy to very heavy rain has already claimed seven lives and affected over 150,000 people, with landslides and flooding reported across numerous districts.