A whirlwind that lashed Puthur and Pananchary panchayats in Thrissur district on Friday caused heavy damage to property. Vellarithadam, Kolakkundu, Chennaippara, Peechi, Kunnathangadi and Nadathara witnessed strong winds on Friday morning and Thursday night.
Many houses in Kunnathangadi were damaged and standing crops were destroyed. More than a 100 trees were uprooted and 50-odd houses damaged in the whirlwind that lasted almost 20 seconds. Power poles were damaged. Tiles from the rooftops of the Kadambuzha and Varanamkulam temples and aluminium roofs of houses were blown away. The roof of the Varanamkulam temple was damaged when a tree fell on it.
The traffic that was disrupted in many areas was resumed on Friday. The Fire and Rescue Services, police, and Kerala State Electricity Board workers removed the uprooted trees. Rain inflicted heavy damage at Kaipamangalam, the coastal belt of the district, Alappad, Porathur, and Theendattu.
A 10-minute cyclone that occurred on the Vellayil coast, near Kozhikode, created shockwaves among the fishermen and local people in the district on Friday morning. The roofs of several fishing boats and a few houses nearby were flown off in the gusty winds that formed in the Arabian Sea at 10 a.m. and moved towards the coast.
Though there was a respite in the torrential rain that has been witnessed in the past three days across northern Kerala, gusty winds and waterlogging continued in many parts in the eastern region.
( with input from PTI)
