Tamil Nadu Rains: Schools Shut in 21 Districts

The heavy downpours in Chennai, Tamil Nadu continue to trouble throughout Wednesday as it received 2cm of rainfall yesterday night. Following the heavy downpour, schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Ranipet, Dindugal, Pudhukottai, Theni, Vellore, Ariyallur, Nagapattinam, Villupura, Thiruvarur, Mayiladudhurai, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Villipuram, Thanjavur and Dharmapuri to remain shut on Thursday.

However, only schools will remain shut at Salem, Trichy and Thiruvanamallai.

A war room has been set up at Chennai Corporation where the civic body's officials are monitoring the red alert situation because of heavy rain.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, a thunderstorm with heavy to very heavy with isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram and Ranipettai districts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday. On the same day, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Chengalpattu, Tirupattur and Vellore districts, the RMC said.

S Balachandran, Southern regional head for India Meteorological Department, on Wednesday forecast extremely heavy rainfall for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Chengalpattu on Thursday.

"There is a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal. It is moving towards us and there is a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea as well. Under the influence of the two systems in the east and the west, there will be heavy rainfall," he said.

Fishermen have been warned not to venture out into the sea.

The general public should follow all advised safety measures and refrain from stepping out unnecessarily. The weather department has advised people to store adequate drinking water.

Rainfall in several parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikkal is expected till November 21.

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