Chennai: Rain made a powerful return last night with many parts of Tamilnadu, including Chennai, receiving intense showers. While the rain stopped in the city early morning today, it returned during the peak time of 9 am and crippled traffic at almost all key stretches.
This sudden and intense rain was caused by the cyclone in the making over Arabian Sea, said the Met Department.
“A low pressure area will be developing over southeast Arabian Sea tomorrow. It will concentrate into a depression and move northwestwards during the next 48 hours following which it will intensity into a cyclonic storm and move towards Oman,” said RMC ACWC director S Balachandran.
Speaking to reporters today, he said, “In the wake of this, heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamilnadu and Puducherry till Sunday. In the last 24 hours, KM Koil and Pullambadi recorded a maximum rainfall of 11 cm each followed by Tiruchendur which recorded 10 cm. Vedaranyam and Sirkali recorded 9 cm each, Rameswaram, 8 cm, Cuddalore, Pamban, Tirukattupalli, Jayamkondam, Sethiathope, Puducherry, Thirumanur and Mayiladuthurai, 7 cm each, Madukkur, Mannargudi, Cheyyar, Nannilam and Karaikal, 6 cm each. Rain lashed many other parts of Tamilnadu.”
Regarding the forecast for Chennai, the director said, “The sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy. Light rain or thundershower is likely to occur in some areas. In the last 24 hours, Meenambakkam recorded 1.22 cm rainfall and Nungambakkam, 2.54 cm.”
The Met Department has issued a red alert for Tamilnadu and Kerala till 7 October when the cyclone is about to form and move away from the Indian peninsula. It has predicted up to 25 cm of rainfall in isolated places on 7 October when the cyclone forms. It has also cautioned about heavy rain lashing Western Ghats, Kerala and Kanyakumari coasts.
Following this, Tamilnadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan got to know about the situation in all the districts from the Collectors. She has also informed them to keep all relief camps ready in case of heavy rain. Due to sudden intense rain today, holiday was announced for schools in five districts: Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Salem in Tamilnadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry
WHAT IS RED ALERT?
When a red alert is issued by the Met Department, the following aspects needed to be taken into consideration. The weather conditions will be extremely bad, people should move to safer places, electricity supply will be disrupted and roads will be destroyed.
FISHERMEN TOLD TO RETURN
Fishermen in south Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Comorin area, southeast Arabian Sea and central Arabian Sea have been advised not to venture into the sea and those who were in deep sea were advised to return to the coast by tomorrow.
Photos: B Anand, K Vijay Anand & C Santhosh