The Kerala government today issued the red alert for eight districts as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest update that the deep depression formed over the Arabian Sea due to Cyclone Tauktae has intensified during the past 24 hours and is expected to gain strength in the coming hours.
The storm is expected to hit Kerala within the next 24 hours and reach Gujarat coast by May 18.
In Kerala, the state government has put the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikkode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod under Red Alert due to the cyclone.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF),