Heavy rains continued to lash several cities in Tamil Nadu with the capital Chennai witnessing record showers and schools being shut in several districts. The showers in the state ranged between 1 CM to 9 CM, which includes Cauvery delta areas and coastal regions like Kanyakumari. There has been widespread rainfall as the Northeast monsoon rains commenced in Tamil Nadu on October 29. A weather bulletin said that a cyclonic circulation lay over north Sri Lanka and its neighbourhood at lower levels and a “trough runs from this system to southeast Arabian sea”.
Chief Minister MK Stalin also chaired a virtual meeting of top officials on monsoon preparedness and instructed officials to work in cohesion and directed them to take swift action on complaints.
In Chennai, two subways were closed due to incessant rains and the city witnessed traffic congestion and slow movement of vehicles. As per media reports, 8 CM of heavy rainfall was recorded on November 1 in Chennai’s Nungambakkam, the highest in the past 30 years and the third such record in the last 72 years. In 1990, the city witnessed 13 CM rainfall and it was 11 CM in 1964, both on November 1.
Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, S Balachandran said that from October 1 to November 1, Chennai District received 20 CM rainfall while the average for this period was 28 CM and which is 29 per cent less than normal. If the period between October 1 to 31 is considered, the city received 14 CM showers while the normal was 27 CM which was 48 per cent less than normal. The current spell of rain, in a single day, has narrowed that gap by 18 per cent.
For the next few days, most areas in Tamil Nadu Puducherry-Karaikal are expected to receive moderate rainfall. A couple of areas in districts falling under the Cauvery delta zone, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga may also witness heavy rainfall.