Tamil Nadu Rain: Heavy showers expected in Chennai today; Schools, government offices shut

Chennai, Nov 08: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall today in 14 Tamil Nadu districts, including Chennai, Vellore, Nagapattinam, Karaikal, among others.

"It is likely to be heavy to very heavy at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on 8th and 9th November", IMD said in its latest forecast.

""Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood around 9th November. It is likely to become more marked and move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu coast during the subsequent 48 hours," it said.

Following the heavy rains, schools in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Chengalpet districts will remain closed for next two days.

In a similar order, schools and colleges will remain closed today due to heavy rain in Sivaganga district, said Sivaganga District Collector Madhusudhanan Reddy.

Most government offices in Chennai will remain closed for the day, while private firms have been asked to allow work-from-home to their employees.

Aided by cyclonic circulation during monsoon, Chennai and nearby regions experienced intense rains in about 24 hours, leading to inundation of most areas here and opening up of sluice gates of three city reservoirs to let out surplus water.

Since the start of the Northeast monsoon in October, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry regions have experienced about 43 per cent excess rainfall. Heavy to very heavy rains lashing the city in about 24 hours comes after about six years, while other regions of Tamil Nadu received mild, and or moderate rainfall.