Andhra: Heavy rains lash Nellore, authorities issue high alert

Nellore (Andhra Pradesh) [India], October 22 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district was lashed with heavy rains, receiving seven cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, and the administration is on a high alert, an official said.
Tourism activities have been halted for the next 48 hours, and the public has been barred from visiting the beaches as of Wednesday. Authorities had also declared a holiday today.
Nellore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Himanshu Shukla told ANI, "Nellore district has received an average of 7 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours...The administration is on high alert...We have ensured that the fisherman community comes back. All the boats have been accounted for. We have closed all the beaches today. Tourism activities have been suspended for the next two days. We also declared a holiday today, and we are planning to make similar announcements tomorrow..."
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Kerala's Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts on Wednesday.
The IMD had earlier placed Idukki, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts on red alert, but later withdrew it and placed them on orange alert.
A yellow alert has also been issued for Kasaragod, Kannur, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram, warning of isolated heavy rains today.
Due to heavy rain and strong winds, the district authorities have declared a holiday for educational institutions in Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram and Pathanamthitta on Wednesday. Night travel has been banned in the high-range district of Idukki.
Meanwhile, the well-marked low pressure area that lies over southwest Bay of Bengal off the Tamil Nadu coast brought torrential rains in several parts of Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said that the northeast monsoon is in full swing across the state, with continuous rainfall being reported in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts.
Speaking at a review meeting held at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai's Teynampet, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "The northeast monsoon is in full swing now. It's continuously raining in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts. It will not stop today, but the MeT Department has said it will rain again in two days and may even intensify. Predictions indicate that rainfall could be heavier than last year. Today's meeting is to discuss how to face such a situation if it arises." (ANI)