A school holiday has been declared for schools in Puducherry, several districts in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, October 22 amid heavy rainfall alert. All government and government-aided schools and private schools in Puducherry and Karaikal have been declared a holiday today, said Education Minister A. Namachivayam. The schools will remain closed in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Tenkasi districts today due to heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, there will be no closure notification for schools in Chennai.
Heavy rainfall alert in Chennai, adjoining districts till October 26
The development comes as heavy rains lashed several parts of Chennai and adjoining districts since last night with the Regional Meteorological Centre forecasting rainfall across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry until October 26. The IMD had issued yellow and orange alerts on Tuesday, predicting heavy rainfall in parts of Tamil Nadu and other states "due to likely formation of a low-pressure area over Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Tamil Nadu coast during next 24 hours."
As per the latest bulletin from the Regional Meteorological Centre, an upper-air cyclonic circulation that lay over the southwest Bay of Bengal off the north Tamil Nadu coast is likely to intensify into a low-pressure area over the same region during the next 24 hours. The IMD has also issued an orange alert in Ramanathapuram, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Chennai, and Thiruvallur. The red alert means a forecast of extremely heavy rainfall above 20 cm, and the orange alert means a forecast of very heavy rainfall above 11 cm.
RMC in its weather bulletin issued at 2.30 pm on Sunday said rainfall occurred in most places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal regions over the last 24 hours. The bulletin further said that Saturday's upper air cyclonic circulation over north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south coastal Andhra Pradesh has become less marked. Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Chennai and its neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, marking the first and heavy spell of the northeast monsoon. The weather report further said that Parry's Corner in Chennai received the highest rainfall of 36 cm in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Sunday, followed by Kathivakkam near here receiving 34 cm during the same period.
-With ANI Inputs
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