JOIN USNormal life was paralysed in Tamil Nadu, especially in the northern coastal districts, including the state capital, as heavy rain battered the region, bringing back the memories of the December 2015 deluge.
The death toll rose to 14 due to rain-related incidents.
Chennai was the worst affected area, registering a maximum rainfall of 30 cm in the span of just eight hours, starting from Thursday night.
The houses of DMK president M Karunanidhi and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in the city were surrounded by flood water.
"Low pressure area now lies over southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coast. Under this influence, heavy rain is likely to occur over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next 48 hours," said Dr S Balachandran, deputy director general, meteorology.
According to Balachandran, apart from Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, even southern districts such as Tirunelveli and Thanjavur received copious rain over the past 24 hours.
Most of the trains from the southern districts arrived late by several hours on Friday morning. Similarly, Chennai airport officials said several flights were delayed, especially on Thursday night.
Schools, colleges and educational institutions were closed for the third consecutive day, with the Tamil Nadu government also requesting private firms in the city to declare a holiday on Friday.
Meanwhile, the toll rose to 14, with five deaths being reported between Thursday night and Friday morning.