JOIN USNormal life was thrown out of gear on Monday as heavy rain battered Tamil Nadu since Sunday night. One person was killed in Thanjavur district.
The rain was caused due to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal, even as the weather office predicted more thundershowers over the next two days.
"The cyclonic circulation now lies over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka, and extends up to 3.6 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rain is likely in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala over the next 48 hours," Dr S Balachandran, deputy director, general meteorology, said on Monday evening.
According to Balachandran, since the northeast monsoon is active over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, thunderstorms with lightening are likely to occur at isolated places in these regions.
Fishermen were warned not to venture into the sea as there would be strong winds from the northeasterly to easterly direction, with speeds reaching 45 to 55 kmph likely along and off the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.
Chennai city has been experiencing heavy rain since Monday morning and has left many areas inundated.
In several places, commuters were forced to wade through knee-deep water.
Nagapattinam district registered the maximum rainfall of 90 mm over the past 24 hours, followed by Kancheepuram, which received 50 mm rainfall during the same period.
Shelters in state
As part of the preparedness to tackle the monsoon rain, the Tamil Nadu government has set up multipurpose evacuation shelters across the state at a cost of Rs 345 crore. These shelters, which can house 500 to 2,000 people, have separate rooms for accommodation, medical examination and sanitation services. Further, kitchen facilities have also been provided in the shelters.