Tamil Nadu rains: Schools closed in Chennai and Chengalpattu today, coastal districts on red alert

Tidal waves hit the coast under the influence of deep depression, at the Kasimedu fishing harbour in Chennai on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

With the deep depression approaching the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, Chennai has declared a holiday for schools on Friday (November 29, 2024). Chengalpattu’s Collector has also declared a school holiday for today in view of heavy rains in Tamil Nadu.

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal now lies at about 310 km southeast of Nagapattinam and 410 km southeast of Puducherry and south-southeast of Chennai at about 480 km.

“It is likely to move north-northwestward and likely to cross between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram by the morning of the 30th morning. Under the influence of this system, rainfall is likely to occur in the next 2-3 days, fairly widespread moderate rainfall in most of the parts of Tamil Nadu,” Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre Director S Balachandran told ANI on Thursday.

“As far as heavy rainfall is concerned, next 24 hours, one-two places in Delta districts, Chengalpattu and Viluppuram are going to experience it. Tomorrow, one-two places in Delta districts and Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Puducherry and Chengalpattu will receive extremely heavy rainfall,” he said.

The weather agency has issued a red weather alert indicating extremely heavy rainfall above 24.4 cm in one or two places of some delta and north coastal districts on Friday (November 29, 2024) and Saturday (November 30, 2024) as the system moves closer.

The weather system would cross as a deep depression and bring moderate rainfall over many places in the State. Extremely heavy rainfall may pound one or two places in Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and Puducherry and Karaikal on Friday. Eight other districts, including Ranipet and Tiruchi may receive heavy rainfall on Friday.

Rainfall would pick up over Chennai and its neighbouring districts, which have been missing intense showers, from Wednesday evening. While Chennai and its surrounding disricts, Ariyalur and Thanjavur has chances of rainfall up to very heavy intensity in one or two places on Friday, Chennai and neighbouring districts have been issued red weather alert on Saturday when the system crosses the TN coast. Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore districts and Puducherry also lie in the path of extremely heavy rainspell on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the government has declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal regions on Friday and Saturday as a precautionary measure.

(with inputs from ANI)