Tamil Nadu rains: Red Alert in 20 districts as IMD predicts heavy showers for today, flights cancelled from Chennai

A depression lay centred over southwest Bay of Bengal, about 430 km east-southeast of Chennai, resulting in moderate to heavy to extremely heavy rainfall along the Tamil Nadu coast on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

“The well-marked low-pressure area over central parts of south Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards and concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 5.30 p.m. over southwest Bay of Bengal about 430 km east-southeast of Chennai and 420 km east-southeast of Puducherry,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

This depression is very likely to move west-northwestwards and reach near the north Tamil Nadu coast by the early morning on Thursday and thereafter, likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Karaikal and Sriharikota close to the north of Puducherry by Thursday evening, it said.

Red Alert

Following the forecast, a red alert has been issued for 20 districts in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, on November 11.

Light to moderate rainfall has been predicted at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, north interior Tamil Nadu, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema and heavy rainfall at isolated places over south interior Karnataka on Thursday.

There would be squally winds with speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph over southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal and along and off Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts on Thursday, the IMD said.

Flood advisory

The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority released a flood advisory for the districts of Thoothukudi, Villipuram, Tirunelveli, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Chengalpettu in light of the heavy rains predicted for November 11. Schools will also remain shut in these districts

Flights cancelled

Eight flights have been cancelled due to bad weather in Chennai airport, officials said on Wednesday.

Four arrivals and four departures have been cancelled after the Met Department predicted heavy rains and gusty winds in Chennai and adjoining districts.

The Airport Authority of India, in a statement, said that the decision to cancel the flights, all operated on ATR aircraft, was taken based on the weather forecast as the small ATR aircraft will have difficulty in landing due to windy conditions.