Heavy Rains Lash Chennai, Suburbs Flooded; Yellow Alert For 21 Dists Across Tamil Nadu

Chennai witnessed a sudden burst of heavy rainfall on Thursday evening, inundating several key neighborhoods and throwing traffic out of gear.

Areas such as Guduvanchery, Vadapalani, Sholinganallur, Perumbakkam, Ashok Nagar, Mangadu, KK Nagar, Pallavaram, and the vicinity of Chennai Airport received intense showers, with some localities recording over 30mm of rain in a short span.

The downpour led to waterlogging on major roads, causing slow-moving traffic and commuter delays. While most city areas experienced moderate rainfall, the heaviest showers were concentrated southwest of Chennai, particularly around Oragadam and Walajahbad.

As per the weather bloggers, storm cells were forming closer to the city, with weak steering winds allowing rain to persist in some pockets for up to an hour.

21 Districts On Yellow Alert

The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued a yellow alert for widespread heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. Districts under alert include Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Villuppuram, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and the Union Territories of Puducherry and Karaikal.

Western and Central TN: Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet
Coastal and Delta Belt: Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur
Interior Regions: Kallakurichi, Villuppuram, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai
Union Territories: Puducherry.

Temperature Outlook

Sept 18: Maximum temperatures expected to remain normal to below normal
Sept 19-21: Gradual rise by 2-3°C in isolated pockets across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal

According to the weather department, maximum temperatures are expected to remain normal to below normal on Thursday, with a gradual rise of 2-3°C in isolated pockets from Friday through Sunday. The sudden shift in weather has brought much-needed relief to parched regions but also raised concerns over urban flooding and traffic disruptions.

With more storms building to the west of the city, officials are closely monitoring the situation. Residents are advised to stay indoors during peak showers and avoid low-lying areas prone to flooding.