Rain pounds TN; more showers in the offing

With the Northeast monsoon intensifying, several parts of Tamil Nadu received moderate to heavy rainfall on Wednesday prompting authorities in six districts to declare holiday for schools.

The state is likely to experience widespread rain till November 1 as a depression over Comorin area is likely to intensify into a deep depression in the next 24 hours and into a cyclonic storm later.

Several rivers across the state were in spate prompting authorities to move those living in low-lying areas to safety, while schools in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Theni, Vellore and Ramanathapuram remained closed due to heavy rain.

Tiruttani in Tiruvallur district recorded the highest rainfall of 19 cm in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Wednesday.

The Centre also issued flood forecast for all small and medium dams in Kosasthalaiyar, Vellar and Ponnaiyar basin in the state. Landslides were reported in hilly areas like Kodaikannal, while several districts in South Tamil Nadu were pounded by heavy rain.

The MeT department said that the state and the Union Territory of Puducherry will receive heavy rain for the next 48 hours due to the depression in over Comorin area.

“The depression lay 220 km west southwest of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and is likely to move northwestwards across Lakshadweep and intensify into a deep depression,” S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said, adding that it might intensify into a cyclonic storm in the subsequent 48 hours.

The Tamil Nadu government also asked fishermen not to venture into the sea along Kanyakumari, Lakshadweep, and south Kerala coast on October 31.