Torrential rains pounded several areas of Chennai and its fringes, causing flooding on many roads, beginning on the evening of Wednesday, November 29, 2023, and continuing well into Thursday morning.
Rains of very heavy intensity lashed many parts of Chennai and many rain gauges logged high intensity overnight rains of above 10 cm. Kolathur logged a whopping 16 cm of rainfall (8.30 a.m. on Wednesday to 6 a.m. on Thursday), followed by Ambattur (15 cm) and Anna Nagar Malar Colony (14 cm),
Kodambakkam, Maduravoyal, Puzhal (12 cm) Anna University, Teynampet, Kathivakkam (11 cm) and Nungambakkam (8 cm) and Meenambakkam (10 cm) were the other localities that recorded heavy rainfall.
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Many other localities also saw heavy rains.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Chennai and its neighbouring districts on December 2 and 3, indicating the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall
Shutter gates of the Chembarambakkam and Red Hills reservoirs were opened wider to let out more water on Thursday morning, following heavy inflows. While water discharge from Chembarambakkam was increased to 6,000 cubic feet per second with its water level reaching 22.53 feet against 24 feet, about 1,000 cusecs is being discharged from the Red Hills reservoir.
Officials of the Water Resource Department estimate that Adyar river would carry a flow of 10,000 cusecs, including water from Chembarambakkam reservoir and surface runoff from upstream areas. However, it may not lead to any flooding.
With the weather system in the Bay of Bengal set to consolidate into a depression by Thursday, coastal areas may continue to receive moderate to heavy rains. The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy rains over districts like Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kancheepuram on Thursday.
Neighbouring districts
Rains also lashed the districts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Ranipet. In view of this, authorities declared a holiday for school in the four districts for Thursday.
Meanwhile, the University of Madras has postponed the semester exams scheduled today due to rains. The revised date is to be announced later, the University said in a post on X.
In Chennai, according to the Corporation, 18 of the 34 locations being monitored by the Integrated Command and Control Centre recorded over 75 mm of rain from 8.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. as of Wednesday.
According to IMD, heavy rain may lash isolated places in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts over the next two days
Coastal areas may get more rain till weekend
Coastal areas may have to brace for more rain till the weekend with a weather system brewing over the southeast Bay of Bengal. It is expected to strengthen into a cyclonic storm around December 2.
The well-marked low pressure area is likely to become a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal by Thursday. The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, has said the weather disturbance may further gain in strength and turn into a cyclonic storm over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal.
If the system becomes a cyclonic storm, it is likely to be named ‘Michaung’, a name given by Myanmar for the tropical cyclones forming over the north Indian Ocean.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain of light to moderate intensity at many places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal until December 3. Strong easterlies and another cyclonic circulation over Sri Lanka would push moisture and rain clouds closer to the Tamil Nadu region and cause a fairly widespread rain on November 29, 2023.
Districts, including Chengalpattu, Villupuram, and those in the Cauvery delta, may receive heavy rain at one or two places today.
