Holidays were declared for educational institutions in three districts of Kerala for Saturday (May 31) as heavy rains continued in the southern state. The District Collectors of Kottayam, Kollam, and Idukki districts confirmed that all educational institutions, including professional colleges, will remain shut in the districts on Saturday. The holiday announcement will not apply to previously scheduled exams and interviews, Kottayam Collector John V. Samuel IAS reportedly said.
Meanwhile, Idukki Collector V. Vigneshwari declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including Anganwadis, tuition centers, professional colleges, and madrasas in the hilly district on May 31. Classes and coaching sessions as part of the summer vacation should not be held tomorrow, the order reminded.
Massive onset especially considering this is not a June/July/August spell.
— Kerala Weatherman (@weather_kerala) May 30, 2025
Close to 400mm rainfall overall for Kerala in the last 7 days.
May 24 - 51mm
May 25 - 52mm
May 26 - 73mm
May 27 - 65mm
May 28 - 31mm
May 29 - 45mm
May 30 - 75mm
Kannur had the most rainfall- 630mm.
Avoiding accidents due to heavy downpour and strong winds remains a priority, forcing the DM to take the decision, Manorama Online said in a report. However, the holiday does not apply to Idukki's residential educational institutions, the report added. The Collector's order added that the heads of educational institutions should take steps to make up for the lost study time, including through online classes.
On Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. The death toll in rain-related incidents climbed to seven on Friday. Since April, 27 people died in the state due to the heavy rains, Manorama Online said in a report. In Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts, the heavy rains and strong winds uprooted trees and damaged electricity poles and transformers, leading to partial and complete destruction of hundreds of homes and power disruptions for hours, according to the authorities.
The Ernakulam district authorities also reported a rise in the water level of the Muvattupuzha River above the flood warning markers, leading to the opening of three shutters of the Malankara Dam by 20 centimetres (cm). Train services were also affected with some, including the Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Expres, being diverted due to fallen trees on the tracks, while others were rescheduled or delayed due to the heavy rains, authorities said.
