Chennai records season's highest rainfall

Chennai, Oct 28: With the active and vigorous northeast monsoon coupled with a depression in the south-west Bay, the teeming metropolis of Chennai recorded this year's highest rainfall of 118.2 mm on a single day today.

Met Office sources told that Nungambakkam received a rainfall of 118.2 mm from last night till 2300 hrs today and the suburban Meenambakkam receiving a rainfall of 116.7 mm.

Though the battering the city received revived the memories of the November 2005 pounding, the rainfall recorded was comparatively less today. However, today's spell was the highest to be recorded in the current season after the north-east monsoon set in last week.

The non-stop rains left several low-lying areas in the city inundated and people were evacuated to safety from a government quarters at Aynavaram area after cracks developed in tenements, housing more than 250 apartments.

Despite being a Sunday, traffic came to a standstill in several areas and festival shoppers for the ensuing Deepavali bore the brunt of the bad weather.

UNI