Weather: IMD’s red alert in Tamil Nadu on downpour
New Delhi: India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday sounded a red alert about heavy rains in parts of Tamil Nadu which is experiencing one of the worst retreating monsoons triggering incessant downpours above 20cms in some areas.
Dr. S. Balachandran, IMD’s Director-General, said, “A red alert has been issued in Cuddalore, Viluppuram, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, and Karaikal for Wednesday. For Thursday, a red alert has been issued in the districts of Thiruvallur, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Viluppuram, and Tiruvannamalai.”
The IMD tweeted, “A low-pressure area over the cyclonic Southeast Bay of Bengal will likely concentrate into a depression by Wednesday evening. It will bring rainfall to inundated regions of Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh.”
“Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely in Central and Northern parts of Tamil Nadu on November 10. The intensity of showers will likely decrease to isolated heavy rainfall November 11 onwards,” it added.
The IMD also predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, flooding of roads, inundation, water-logging, low visibility, traffic disruption, damage to vulnerable structures, landslides, mudslides, and damaged crops.
Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police (DGP) C. Sylendra Babu declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Kancheepuram Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai on Wednesday and Thursday.
He advised fishermen to avoid coastal areas in south Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and adjacent Sri Lanka until November 11 and urged the people to not use television sets during thunderstorms.
Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKS SR Ramachandran said, “The death toll rose to 12 in the state on Wednesday. At least 11 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 7 teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are deployed in the state as of now.”
The Nagapattinam district received the highest rainfall of 30cms, followed by Tiruvarur district (21.58 cm), Thanjavur (19.6 cm), Thiruvarur (18.5 cm), and Pudukkottai (17.58 cm) as of Wednesday.
(Avya Mathur)
