A waterlogged road in Chennai following rains on December 30, 2021. Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Heavy rains in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, December 30, led to waterlogging, congestion on the roads and three deaths due to rain-related electrocutions, NDTV reported.
Noting this loss of life, the state’s revenue and disaster management minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran announced that a red alert has been issued for the districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur, and Chengalpattu in light of the severe rainfall.
A red alert is the most severe of the colour-coded weather alerts and signifies that rainfall exceeding 20cm is expected in the concerned area over the next 24 hours. In this light, schools, colleges and non-essential government offices in these districts will remain closed on Friday.
Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai saw over 20 cm of rainfall, caused by a cyclonic circulation off the coast. The consequently waterlogged roads brought traffic to a standstill and severely disrupted commuters’ lives. In order to assist the stranded commuters, Chennai’s metro rail services operated for an extra hour on Thursday, with the last carriage leaving at midnight.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a tweet mentioned the amount of rainfall recorded in several districts in the state, as well as noting that heavy downpours and thunderstorms are expected to continue for the next three days in North coastal Tamil Nadu and the adjoining areas of South coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Very heavy rainfall observed over Chennai & neighbourhood and rainfall activity likely to continue over the region during next 06 hours.
Rainfall recorded from 0830-1945 IST of today (in mm).
Chennai (MRC Nagar) – 198
Nungambakkam – 160@rajeevan61 @airnewsalerts— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 30, 2021
The state’s chief minister, M.K. Stalin visited the Greater Chennai Corporation’s flood control room on Thursday to assess the situation and relief and rescue works underway in the state, Mint reported.