Chennai, Tamil Nadu rains today: Death toll 14; top developments

Tamil Nadu, Chennai rains: At least 14 people have died in Tamil Nadu in rain-related incidents. The incessant showers has caused waterlogging in several areas, road cave-ins and many trees have been uprooted.

At least 14 people have died in Tamil Nadu due to the non-stop rains over the last five days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in parts of the state on Thursday, indicating heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, due to the formation of a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu rains: Top developments

Tamil Nadu rains: Death toll rises to 14

At least 14 people have died in Tamil Nadu in rain-related incidents. The incessant showers has caused waterlogging in several areas, road cave-ins and many trees have been uprooted. Several areas are without electricity too. The government Thursday confirmed that at least 14 people had died, while 157 cattle lives were lost. Also 1,146 huts and 237 houses have been damaged.

As a precautionary measure, schools and colleges remained closed today.

Depression in Bay of Bengal to cross coast this evening

The depression over the Bay of Bengal is moving northwestwards with a speed of 14 kmph, and it likely to cross the north Tamil Nadu coast this evening. At 11.30 am, it lay 80 km east-southeast of Chennai and 140 km east-northeast of Puducherry. The weather department said it will move northwestwards and cross the coast this evening.

In light of the weather system, the IMD has forecast “light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places” over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, north interior Tamil Nadu, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, and “heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over south interior Karnataka, Kerala and heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh”.

Chennai airport suspends arrivals, but departures to continue

The Chennai airport suspended arrivals from 1.15 pm to 6 pm on Thursday, but said departures would continue. It said the decision was taken “considering the safety aspect of passengers and severity of wind”.

Chennai rains: Subways shut, roads cordoned off

In view of the heavy rainfall and severe waterlogging, the Greater Chennai Traffic Police announced the closure of 11 subways and seven roads this morning.

The subways are closed include Vvasarpadi, Ganeshapuram, Ajaxs, Gangu reddy, Madley, Duraiswamy, Palavanthangal, Aranganathan, Villivakkam, Kakhan Bridge

The roads closed are KK Nagar- Raja Mannar Salai, Mylapore- Sivaswamy Salai, EVR Salai- Gandhi Irwin to Nair Point, Sembeium- Jawahar Nagar, KS Peravallur- 70 feet road, Pulianthope- Dr Ambedkar Road, Pulianthope High Road, Perambur Barracks Road, Tower clock, Vyasarpadi- Mullai Nagar Bridge.

Tamil Nadu gets 52% above normal rainfall

Tamil Nadu has recorded rainfall 52 per cent above normal in its monsoon season. Reservoirs across the state are inching towards full storage; 53 of the 90 key reservoirs crossed 76 per cent storage on Wednesday. “Of the 90 key reservoirs in Tamil Nadu, storage level in 53 such facilities has gone above 76 per cent. Out of the 14,138 lakes, storage in 9,153 waterbodies has crossed 50 per cent and 3,691 lakes have crossed 100 per cent,” a government release said, according to news agency PTI.

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