Tamil Nadu braces for two more days of heavy rain, schools shut in four districts

Heavy to very heavy rainfall that began on Tuesday persisted through the night, with Chennai’s MGR Nagar recording a peak of 15 cm. The India Meteorological Department attributes the ongoing deluge to a low-pressure area forming over the southwest Bay of Bengal and has issued a yellow alert for the capital. Forecasts for October 22 predict isolated heavy showers, thunderstorms, lightning and wind gusts of 40-50 km/h in several districts, including Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Karaikal in Puducherry.

Schools remain closed on October 22 in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi, while Chennai has not received a new closure order. The IMD expects the widespread rain to continue on October 23, especially over Kanyakumari, Nilgiris and Coimbatore. Earlier, schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu were shut on October 21 due to similar conditions.