TN rains: Schools shut in 4 districts; Several areas in Chennai inundated
Four districts in Tamil Nadu-- Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu-- have been put on red alert for October 16
The Tamil Nadu government directed schools in four districts, including Capital Chennai, to stay closed on Tuesday due to heavy rains.
Several low-lying residential areas in Chennai, such as Velachery and Thoraipakkam, have been inundated as the city received rain accompanied by thunderstorms overnight.
The four districts mentioned above- Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu- have been put on red alert for October 16. Currently Chennai and its adjoining Thiruvallur are on orange alert.
Chennai’s two weather stations - Meenambakkam and Nungambakkam recorded 52.9 cm and 42.6 cm of rainfall from 8.30am on October 14 to 5.30am on October 15.
Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is at the control room of the Greater Chennai Corporation to take stock of the water logging status.
The corporation has readied 990 pumps, 57 tractors equipped with pump sets, and 36 mechanised boats to be used in case of any emergency.
The heavy rainfall is caused by two weather systems-- a Well Marked Low Pressure Area over Central Part of South Bay of Bengal and a Depression over Westcentral Arabian Sea off Oman coast.
The well-marked low pressure is likely to intensify into a depression and continue to move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during next two days, said the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai. The Depression is likely to move nearly westwards towards Oman coast and weaken gradually into a well-marked low-pressure area today.
