It’s a rain holiday today for schools in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts as incessant overnight rains lashed the region, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu over the next five days.
Chennai’s Meenambakkam recorded 120.3 mm of rainfall in the 21 hours up to 5.30 am today, while Nungambakkam received 107.2 mm, highlighting the intensity of the downpour across the city.
The incident occurred when he was bringing his sheep home amid the rains, adding to concerns over the safety risks posed by thunderstorms during the monsoon. The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu during the coming days. The northeast monsoon is crucial for Tamil Nadu, accounting for a significant share of the rainfall needed to replenish drinking water sources and meet irrigation requirements. The distribution and intensity of rainfall over the coming weeks will be closely watched, particularly in a state that depends heavily on the seasonal rains to replenish its reservoirs.
The IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall until 10 am in 16 districts, including Chennai and parts of southern and delta Tamil Nadu. The broader forecast warns of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal until October 26, amid the onset of the northeast monsoon. A low-pressure area is likely to form over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Tamil Nadu coast within the next 24 hours, potentially sustaining the spell of heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old man died after being struck by lightning in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district. Isolated heavy rainfall is also forecast over Kerala and Mahe from October 20 to 26, South Interior Karnataka from October 21 to 24, and parts of Andhra Pradesh on October 20 and 21.
