Chennai woke up to heavy rains on Friday. Apart from Chennai, several parts of Tamil Nadu also received heavy rains today. The downpour came a day after the Indian Metrological Department issued a ‘Red Alert’ for Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
Water logging was reported in some residential areas on the outskirts of the town. Traffic came to a standstill at some important junctions.
According to Skymet Weather, north Chennai would experience heavy rainfall. The officials have declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai today. The relief commissioner said that they are prepared for any eventuality.
In fact, the state government has asked the telecom companies to shift the mobile towers on raised platforms so that the connectivity is not affected during the heavy rains.
This brings back the memories of 2015 deluge, when entire Chennai was submerged in the worst rainfall of the century.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Kerala is also bracing for more rains with the state government stepped up disaster preparedness Thursday.
Karnataka government has also sounded an alert in 12 districts as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said heavy rains were likely in South interior parts of the southern state.
An IMD bulletin said the low pressure area could intensify into a cyclonic storm, triggering heavy to very heavy rainfall in several parts of Kerala.
In view of the IMD forecast, a red alert has been sounded in Idukki and Malappuram districts with heavy rains expected on Sunday.
According to the bulletin, a cyclonic circulation over southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep and Maldives areas extended "up to middle tropospheric level in the morning of Thursday and under its influence, a low pressure area is very likely to form over southeast Arabian Sea by October 6." "It is very likely to concentrate into a depression and move northwestwards during subsequent 36 hours and intensify further into a cyclonic storm and move towards Oman coast," the bulletin said.
Reviewing disaster preparedness, a meeting of Disaster Management Authority officials held here Thursday asked officials concerned to monitor the water levels in dams considering the forecast.
Shutters of dams in Thrissur and Palakaad districts were lifted this evening to drain out excess water.
The sea condition is also expected to be very rough from Saturday and fishermen have been warned not to venture into deep sea.
The state had witnessed the fury of the southwest monsoon in August, the worst in the last 100 years, which claimed 493 lives and swamped several districts.
(With PTI inputs)
