Rains lash Tamil Nadu districts again; schools, colleges shut

The ferocious north-east monsoon (NEM) dumped unprecedented quantities of rain across Tamil Nadu on Friday, with Chennai, and southern districts taking a huge hit leading to flooding of homes and roads, even as the MeT put all coastal districts on red alert. 

As rains will continue for the next few days, according to a forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), nearly a dozen district administrations declared a holiday for schools, and colleges on Saturday.

Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts were battered with heavy rains for the second consecutive day on Friday, even as Ramanathapuram too received heavy rainfall.

Incessant rainfall that began Thursday night led to the flooding of several low-lying areas in Chennai and neighbouring districts like Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu. Traffic was affected on many roads in Chennai, while people waded through knee-deep and waist-deep water to reach their offices and back home in the evening. 

Also read: Heavy rains: Red alert for five Tamil Nadu districts

Other parts of the states like the Cauvery Delta region, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Villupuram, too received heavy rains on Friday. The state, which has been battered by heavy rains due to the influence of the NEM, will continue to get rainfall for the next few days. 

The IMD placed all coastal districts, including Chennai, Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram, on red alert as extremely heavy rainfall is expected in these areas. Chief Minister M K Stalin visited some of the waterlogged roads in Chennai and asked officials to drain rainwater from roads and subways at the earliest. 

Revenue Minister K K S S R Ramachandran said the state was prepared to face heavy rains.

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