A strong wind and heavy rainfall hit Kottayam, Kerala, on Friday night, with wind speeds reaching 48 km/h and rainfall of 8 cm in just 2 hours, classifying it as heavy rainfall. The storm caused disruption to power supply and traffic, with many roads blocked by fallen trees. The fire and rescue services received 25 calls and were still waiting to respond to another 25 calls.
Kannur and Palakkad also experienced wind speeds of 48 km/h, while Pathanamthitta and Idukki received a IMD alert for strong wind and gusty weather, but it was Kottayam that bore the brunt of the storm. The Kerala Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Neetha K Gopal, attributed the strong winds to the height of the clouds, which resulted in thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstones.
She explained that the heavy rainfall within a short duration, usually recorded over prolonged periods, caused significant damage. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) officials were kept busy attending to power outages, with reports of trees falling on power lines and blocking traffic in some areas. The weather is expected to stay squally at some places on Saturday and Sunday as well, with Kottayam having received 36% excess rainfall from March 1 to March 21.