Thiruvananthapuram | Heavy rains lashed many parts of Kerala on Wednesday night, prompting authorities to urge people to take utmost care while travelling through hilly and inundated areas.

An orange alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in seven districts, and a yellow alert in the remaining districts in the state for Thursday.

An orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

Heavy rain with maximum surface wind speed up to 40 Kmph (in gusts) is very likely to occur in many places at Kannur, and Kasaragod districts, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said on Thursday.

Relief camps have been opened in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts to accommodate people affected by the floods.

Authorities have declared holidays for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Alappuzha districts, and educational institutions in the Iriti taluk of Kannur district on Thursday.

In Kasargod, two young men had a miraculous escape this morning when their car was swept away while crossing a river via a bridge inundated by floodwaters.

While heavy rains continue in the state, widespread damage has been reported in the lower areas of Kottayam district due to the wind that accompanied the rain.

In the Kumarakom area, billboards, sheet roofs of houses and institutions, and water tanks fell on the ground.