Chennai, Cauvery delta to face heavy rains till Thursday

Tamil Nadu is bracing up for another spell of extremely heavy rainfall, especially in Chennai, its neighbouring districts and the Cauvery Delta region, till Thursday due to a low pressure that has formed in the Bay of Bengal under the influence of cyclonic circulation.

While the intensity of the rains reduced further on Tuesday when compared to the rainfall received over the weekend, the Cauvery Delta region was pounded with heavy rains since Tuesday evening which could result in damage to crops. The rains will return to Chennai and its neighbouring districts from Wednesday, the IMD said.

Nagapattinam in the Delta region and nearby Karaikal in Puducherry received 15.2 cm and 16.3 cm rainfall respectively in just 12 hours ending 5.30 pm on Tuesday.

The low pressure in the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring widespread rains in northern Tamil Nadu and the Delta region over the next five days, the IMD said, adding that the extremely heavy rainfall will hit the Tamil Nadu coast on November 10 and 11.

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Independent weather bloggers said, “extreme vigil” was needed from Cuddalore to Chennai during the above mentioned two days.

“Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood, a low-pressure area has formed over the same region. It is very likely to concentrate into a Depression over Southwest & adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal during the next 36 hours. It is likely to move west–north-westwards and reach near north Tamil Nadu coast by the early morning of November 11,” the IMD said in its bulletin.

The extremely heavy rainfall forecast prompted the government to announce holidays for schools and colleges in nine districts – Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai – on November 10 and 11.

Pradeep John, an independent weather blogger, said Chennai will experience heavy rains from Tuesday night which will intensify from Wednesday afternoon. Likewise, Vedaranayam-Tiruvarur belt in the Delta region will also receive heavy rains, he said.

“The worst fellow event- heavy rains are expected to start at 10th noon/ night and continue non-stop till 11th noon. From 11th evening/night rains will reduce. In simple words - from 10th noon to 11th evening - extreme vigil needed from Cuddalore to Chennai belt,” he wrote on Twitter.

The forecast comes even as Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu districts reel under floods and inundation caused due to heavy rains that lashed the region on November 6 and 7.

Several localities in Chennai continued to be underwater for the third consecutive day even as the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) deployed giant pumps to drain the rainwater. Citizens took to Twitter to complain about waterlogging in posh localities like Ashok Nagar, T. Nagar, Anna Nagar, and Velachery by posting videos and pictures of the flooding in their respective localities.

The GCC also deployed tractors to drain water from many localities in several parts of Chennai, while it continued to supply food to the affected from community kitchens set up in all 15 zones. Unwilling to take chances, the GCC has kept over 40 fibre boats ready to evacuate people from low-lying areas in the event of flooding.

For the third straight day, Chief Minister M K Stalin hit the ground by visiting some of the worst-affected areas in the north and south Chennai and providing relief materials to those who have been hit by the rains and subsequent floods. Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and BJP state unit chief K Annamalai also visited affected areas and met with the people.

As heavy rains continue to pound catchment areas of River Cauvery in Karnataka, the Mettur Dam was just one foot short of attaining its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 120 feet.

At 10 am on Tuesday, the water level at the 87-year-old reservoir stood at 119 feet, even as the water storage reached 91.883 tmcft. The inflow into the reservoir was 26,440 cusecs while 20,150 cusecs of water were being released into the river and canal as a precautionary measure.

As the inflow owing to the release of water from dams in Karnataka remains steady, the Mettur Dam will achieve its FRL by tonight for the first time in two years. The dam achieved FRL four times in 2019 due to heavy rains in catchment areas of River Cauvery in Karnataka.

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