The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday forecast more rainfall over Tamil Nadu for the next two days as a low-pressure area formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal, shutting down schools in several parts of the state.
Schools will remain closed on October 22 in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi districts due to heavy rainfall. However, no school closure order has been issued for Chennai so far.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall that began on Tuesday continued overnight, with Chennai’s MGR Nagar recording the highest rainfall at 15 cm. Several neighbourhoods in and around the state capital received between 10 cm and 15 cm of rain. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Chennai amid the heavy showers.
On October 22, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph at one or two locations, the IMD predicted, according to PTI news agency.
The districts likely to experience such rainfall include Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai, along with Karaikal in Puducherry.
On October 23, widespread rainfall is expected to continue. “Heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places with thunderstorm & lightning with gusty wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph at one or two places is likely to occur over Kanyakumari, Nilgiris and Coimbatore,” an IMD bulletin said.
Meanwhile, schools were closed on October 21 in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts due to heavy rainfall. However, no orders directing school closures in these districts on October 22 had been issued so far.
(With PTI inputs)