- विज्ञापन -
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has declared a holiday for schools in Chennai and surrounding districts today due to heavy rainfall that started last night.
District Collectors in Villupuram, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Cuddalore, and Pudukkottai have also announced school closures in their areas. Additionally, the Union Territory of Puducherry has declared a holiday for both schools and colleges today.
A well-marked low-pressure area is currently located over the southwest Bay of Bengal, near the Sri Lankan coast. This system, along with an upper-air cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels, is expected to move west-northwest towards the coasts of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu within the next 24 hours, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall to the region.
Several districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi, have been placed under yellow alert due to the rain forecast.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued orange and yellow alerts for various districts in Tamil Nadu today, referencing the low-pressure system. However, the RMC has noted that there is little chance of the system evolving into a storm.
On Wednesday, Chennai and its neighboring districts experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, which is expected to persist for the next 24 hours.
During the northeast monsoon season (October 1 to December 10), Tamil Nadu has recorded a 14 percent increase in rainfall, totaling 447 mm compared to the average of 393 mm. Chennai has received 845 mm, which is 16 percent above average, while Coimbatore has seen a significant 47 percent increase in rainfall.
Fishermen have been advised to refrain from going out to sea, and those currently at sea are urged to return to shore immediately. This warning follows the damage caused by Cyclone Fengal, which affected Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from November 29 to December 1.
