The very severe cyclone ‘Thane' has delivered a double whammy to Kerala — residual flooding rains to southern districts killing five, and an impromptu load-shedding during peak evening hours.

The pounding of South Kerala by heavy torrents after the ‘Thane' tail wagged over the region a day after, was of a scale that more than matched what was on show in worst storm-hit areas in the landfall region.

A ‘Thane' remnant had delved more to a west-southwest track than expected and brought circular rain bands mopping up moisture from both the seas on either side of the tapering peninsular south.

Haripad in Alappuzha recorded 22 cm of rains in 24 hours, while Thiruvananthapuram was swamped by 18 cm in only 10 hours until Saturday morning, and another four cm before the skies ‘shut down' after pelting the Capital City.

Only the day before ‘Thane' had rammed into obvious targets in Cuddalore and Puducherry with a vengeance buffeted by howling winds of up to 140 km/hr inflicting significant damage on life and property.

At the last count, 42 lives have been lost in the contiguous State and Union Territory, but cumulative loss to property and infrastructure has been put at Rs 1,700 crore.

The rains did not live up to the menacing strength of the storm, but were enough to flood mines at the Neyveli Lignite Corporation affecting generation there. This has short-circuited supplies to Kerala from the Central pool. A half-an-hour load-shedding has been imposed in the State since Saturday during peak hours in the evening to night, which continued on Sunday as well. Meanwhile, the remnant circulation from ‘Thane' has settled as a conventional low-pressure area over Lakshadweep on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said . vinson@thehindu.co.in

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