Thiruvananthapuram | With heavy rains continuing to lash several parts of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday placed five districts of the state on red alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in those regions.

According to the latest update from the weather agency, the red alert was sounded in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Idukki.

Though Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam were earlier placed under an orange alert, the IMD later upgraded the warning to a red alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places there.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad continue to be on orange alert, while Kannur and Kasaragod remain on yellow alert, the IMD said.

High waves in the range of 0.4 to 3.3 metres and sea incursions are forecast along the coast of Kerala from Vizhinjam in the south to Kasaragod in the north until Thursday night, authorities added.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while 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.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the incessant heavy rains, a state control room has been opened in the Health Department Directorate here as part of efforts to strengthen epidemic prevention activities, Health Minister Veena George said.

A state-level rapid response team had already been formed by the department for epidemic prevention, she said in a statement.

The control room has been launched with the objective of coordinating various activities under the Health Department and clearing the doubts of health workers and the general public, the minister added.