Chennai records 10 cm rainfall, 21 in suburbs overnight

This southern metropolis experienced its heaviest rains, in the past two years, with almost all parts of the city receiving moderate to heavy rainfall through Wednesday night.

Tiruvallur, headquarters of the Chennai’s neighbouring district, recorded 21 cm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am recharging the Poondi reservoir that supplies drinking water to the city.

Chennai city alone received 10 cm rainfall on Wednesday night, MeT department said. The rains in areas where the reservoirs that supply drinking water to Chennai are located also received good rains which could mean that the water crisis in the city would ease further.

The wide-spread rains continued through Wednesday night resulting in waterlogging in several low-lying areas leading to traffic snarls across the city. Not just Chennai, but surrounding areas in Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts also received heavy rains, helping recharge the groundwater.

Chennai and its suburbs faced unprecedented water crisis this Summer with people being forced to wait on the streets for hours together looking for water tankers. The crisis had dawned greater awareness on harvesting rainwater with thousands of people conserving the rainwater and posting pictures on the social media.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said Chennai experienced its heaviest rains since November 2017. “Chennai Lake areas are having a feast and it is the wettest day in the city this year,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

While Tiruvallur recorded 21 cm of rainfall, Poondi lake received 20 cm, Arakkonam (16 cm), Tiruttani (15 cm) and Cholavaram lake (13 cm), he said.

John said Poondi lake should generate inflows with these rains. “This was like the North East Monsoon rains which were widespread,” he wrote.