A WhatsApp message has been doing the rounds in Chennai which warns people about a ‘hurricane’ and ‘250cm rainfall in Chennai’. The message claims that the aforementioned information was a warning from NASA. The complete message reads:
Guys CHENNAI IS ON HIGH ALERT NOW!!! NASA has warned INDIA tat CHENNAI will suffer ah very very high rainfall with a hurricane !!! NASA has given 2 dates 21,22 ...on these 2 days unpredictable rainfall in the history of INDIA will lash tamilnadu ...the rainfall will be about 250 cm in CHENNAI!!! So indian central gov has now deployed 3000 NDRF to tamilnadu and border security force and airforce and army on the toes....!! NASA's prediction never miss....! Watch CNN IBN they r telecasting the live show....!!
According to The NewMinute , the MET department has predicted only light showers in Chennai on Wednesday and IBN hasn’t made any such telecast. Whatsapp groups often carry bizarre messages and an earlier one claimed that NASA had predicted an earthquake in India. (Read: Dear people of Chennai, there are no escaped crocodiles in the city)
The latest situation in Chennai
Intermittent rains today and forecast of more over the next two days kept Chennai, its suburbs and coastal districts on their toes even as normal life appeared to be returning to the flood-ravaged areas. All flight operations, domestic and international, and train services from both Chennai Central and Egmore are to resume tomorrow as water levels in the Adyar and Cooum rivers receded enabling authorities to restore tracks this afternoon. Throughout Sunday, there have been intermittent rains, which were at times heavy, in Chennai, its suburbs, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Cuddalore districts where the weatherman has predicted more rains for the next 48 hours.
Rain-battered Cuddalore is likely to get heavy to very heavy showers, Meteorological department said, adding that today's showers were due to a twin weather system, including formation of a new trough of low pressure over Bay of Bengal along the Tamil Nadu coast. Chennai city, which has been experiencing intermittent rains, would continue to be cloudy and rain or thundershowers, at times heavy, are likely. Power supply has been restored in several areas, while it continued to be disconnected in many others where water has not receded as a measure of precaution.
Ravaged by heavy rains last week which crippled services, several private and public sector banks operated today. A big chunk of private and public sector banks functioned to clear the backlog caused by the rains which had paralysed ATM services. As a precautionary measure, the state government has declared holidays for schools and colleges tomorrow in the districts, including Chennai, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur.
All domestic and international flights from Chennai, both day and night, will resume from tomorrow morning after partial day-time services operated today.
"....availability of Chennai airport for all weather day and night operations for all flights for which domestic and international terminals will be available from 6 am of 7.12.2015," an Airport Authority of India statement said here late this evening. This followed an inspection by DGCA for night operations, an AAI spokesman said. The airport was shut down last Tuesday night after heavy downpour flooded the runway and all other operating areas. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju is likely to visit Chennai airport tomorrow to make an on-the-spot inspection.
With agency inputs
