Heavy rainfall predicted, Chennai on red alert

With the state of Tamil Nadu is still recovering from last week’s rains, The Indian Meteorological Centre has now issued yet another red alert for November 18th and 19th in Chennai Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts.   

The weather agency has also predicted rainfall in Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai and delta districts of Tamil Nadu.  As per the bulletin issued by the centre, the associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 5.8 km above mean sea level and now lies over the low-pressure area above the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining the North Andaman Sea.

The cyclone is likely to move westwards and eventually reach west-central and adjoining south-west Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu coasts.  

According to a report published in local media sources, one or two places may receive 20.4cm of rainfall. Authorities have been warning the public to stay alert indoors and take all the necessary precautions required to stay safe. 

The red alert indicates that there is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall- amounting upto 20cm or even more in a single day. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 32 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.  

Talking to the media, S.Balachandran, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology, Chennai, said that yet another low-pressure area has formed over the Arabian Sea. He further explained the weather systems and added that the interaction between the weather systems in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal might bring heavy rainfall, and both the systems may feed moisture into each other.  

The past week rainfall   

With heavy to steady rainfall throughout last week, The weather system maintained a wind speed of 45-55 km per hour, gusting up to 65 km per hour while making landfall. Rainfall would continue until Friday morning last week, which resulted in 14 dead across the State. In Chennai, areas like Nungambakkam and Taramani recorded 6 cm of rain.

Meanwhile, Meenambakkam received 5 cm till 5.30 p.m. Other stations, including Ennore (4 cm), too received moderate rainfall. Over 500 residential areas in Chennai were reportedly affected by flooding, and over 12,300 people had been accommodated in 229 relief camps in all15 rain-affected districts across the State.   

Meanwhile, the Tiruvallur district administration has increased water release from the Poondi reservoir to 9,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) at 4 p.m as the water body received a heavy inflow of 11,000 cusecs. The combined storage in the city’s reservoirs was being maintained at 80% to maintain space for sufficient inflows  

The local authorities took measures   

According to a press release issued by the local authorities, as many as 684 motor pumps have been put into place and are in use to help drain out excess water. The Tamil Nadu Commissioner also added that with the help of the fisheries department, boats had been placed in sensitive areas as a precautionary measure.  

News agency PTI reported that as of yesterday, the officials of the Highways Department and the Forest Department cleared the debris caused by a landslide at Bargur in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, which resulted in the town from 32 villages being cut off from the connecting roads.

Massive Boulders and mud fell on the ghat road affecting traffic between Anthiyur in Erode district of Tamil Nadu and Mysore in Karnataka State via Bargur, according to revenue officials.