Thiruvananthapuram | Heavy rains lashed parts of Kerala on Saturday, prompting the IMD to issue an 'orange alert' in four districts of the state in the afternoon.

The India Meteorological Department issued an 'orange alert' for Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, and Malappuram districts for three hours from 2.30 pm onwards.

It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 50 km per hour in parts of these districts.

Earlier this week, the IMD had forecast the possibility of rain accompanied by lightning and winds with speeds between 40–50 km per hour across parts of the state until May 3.

An 'orange alert' indicates very heavy rainfall ranging from 11 cm to 20 cm.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation were recorded in the state until 1 pm on Saturday.

According to data shared by the KSDMA, UV levels above eight, which warrant an orange alert, were reported in Konni in Pathanamthitta and Munnar in Idukki.

In addition, UV levels between six and seven, corresponding to a yellow alert, were recorded at nine locations across the state.