Heavy rain battered several districts of Tamil Nadu on Saturday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast more downpours in at least 12 districts during the day.
Authorities have declared a holiday in all schools in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram. Overnight rain caused waterlogging in several parts of the southern state and people were greeted by thunderstorms and lightning early morning. Tamil Nadu has been hit by incessant rain for the past several days, which has caused mudslides and landslides.
Moderate rain with thunderstorms happened at one or two places in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram districts and the coastal areas of Villupuram and Cuddalore districts and Puducherry area, the Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said.
A low pressure area is likely to form over the South Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood around November 26, and is expected to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal on November 27, PTI reported, citing Deputy Director General, RMC, S Balachandran.
The Met Department has issued rain with thunderstorms and lightning forecast for several districts in Puducherry and Karaikal as well.
Due to the rain forecast, the IMD further said, there could be waterlogging in isolated places, slippery roads, and minor damage to lose structures in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. “Traffic may be affected in some areas,” the Met Department predicted.
The IMD bulletin said that a trough of easterlies runs from the Maldives to the north coast of Maharashtra at lower trophospheric levels, which has triggered the weather forecast in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, and Lakshadweep.
The heavy rain has caused the Coonoor-Mettupalayam and Kotagiri-Mettupalayam highways to have more than ten instances of landslides and mudslides, causing disruptions in the daily commute and posing risks to residents.
Amid rain battering the state, Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister K Rajan on Thursday chaired a meeting to discuss the situation there. He said no rain-related accidents have been reported in the state and that special arrangements will be ensured for the smooth movement of Sabarimala pilgrims.
Besides Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, thunderstorms with lightning have been forecast in one or two regions in Kerala on November 26 and 27.