Chennai, Dec 2 (IANS) Four districts — Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu — declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Tuesday as continuous heavy rainfall, triggered by the remnants of Cyclone Ditwah, disrupted normal life across the region.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the deep depression hovering close to the coast would continue to bring intense spells of rain.

According to the IMD, a deep depression has remained nearly stationary about 50 km east of Chennai for several hours. The system is expected to drift southwestward and weaken into a depression within the next 12 hours, moving to around 30 km from the city. Even as it weakens, its proximity is intensifying rain bands over northern Tamil Nadu.

Chennai experienced relentless downpours through the morning, resulting in severe waterlogging across major roads and residential neighbourhoods. Vehicles crawled through submerged stretches, and several arterial roads were clogged with traffic as commuters struggled to navigate flood-hit areas.

The uninterrupted rain brought normal life to a halt in many parts of the city.

In its latest bulletin, the IMD said, “The deep depression located around 50 km east of Chennai is likely to weaken into a depression and move closer to about 30 km from the city in the next 12 hours. As a result, one or two places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal are likely to experience light to moderate rain with thunderstorms. Heavy rain is likely in isolated pockets of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram.”

The weather office has also indicated that rainfall activity will continue from Wednesday until December 5 in parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, accompanied by thunder and lightning in some areas.

Following the heavy rain alert, District Collectors of the four affected districts announced the closure of educational institutions for the day as a precautionary measure. Madras University and Anna University have also postponed the semester examinations scheduled for Tuesday, with revised dates to be announced later.

Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay indoors wherever possible, and follow safety advisories as the depression continues to linger near the Tamil Nadu coast.

–IANS

aal/dpb