Chennai, Oct 15 (IANS) Widespread heavy rain continued to lash several parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, on Wednesday, disrupting normal life and prompting weather officials to issue alerts for 12 districts across the state.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has forecast heavy rainfall in the hilly and coastal regions, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds in parts of the southern and western districts.

According to the latest forecast, districts, including Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari, are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall during the day.

The RMC attributed the rain activity to strong moisture-laden easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal interacting with upper-level trough systems over the southern peninsula.

In Chennai, rain that began early in the morning is continuing intermittently, leaving several stretches waterlogged. The sky is expected to remain partly cloudy, with moderate to heavy showers likely in some areas during the evening, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

The maximum temperature in the city is expected to hover around 32 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may stay between 26 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.

As rain intensified in the southern and western districts, officials said District Collectors would decide on declaring holidays for schools and colleges depending on the weather situation in their respective regions. Despite persistent rain in Chennai and Chengalpattu, no official announcement of school closure had been made till evening.

The Meteorological Department also cautioned fishermen against venturing into the sea. Strong winds, ranging between 35 and 45 kmph and occasionally reaching up to 55 kmph, are likely over the Gulf of Mannar, Kumari Sea, Kerala coast, adjoining southeast Arabian Sea, and Lakshadweep–Maldives area.

Rough sea conditions are expected to prevail in these zones, and fishermen have been advised to stay ashore until further notice.

Authorities have urged the public to remain alert, avoid flooded roads, and follow advisories issued by the local administrations and disaster management teams.

–IANS

aal/dpb