Chennai red alert downgraded to yellow, but heavy rain to continue till October 24
The weather department has withdrawn Chennai's red alert as the system behind the weekend deluge moved east, but a yellow alert stays in place till 21 October and the wet spell may last until 24 October.
Chennai has been taken off red alert after the weather system behind this weekend’s intense downpour shifted eastwards, but forecasters say the city is not out of the woods yet, with heavy to very heavy showers still expected over the coming days.
Red alert downgraded to yellow
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai had on Sunday placed the city under a red alert, which signals a forecast of more than 20 cm of rain, for the 24 hours from Sunday afternoon. Later that day the weather department withdrew the warning, saying the circulation that had been hovering off north Tamil Nadu had drifted east. The alert has since been lowered to yellow.
According to the latest bulletin reported by The New Indian Express on Monday morning, the weakening of the circulation means very heavy rain is unlikely over Chennai in the next 24 hours. Even so, a yellow alert remains in force for the city from 19 to 21 October, with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph possible. Heavy to very heavy rain is also forecast on Monday in Tiruchy, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, and the present wet spell is expected to last until 24 October.
Besides Chennai, warnings have been in place for Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Theni, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, and the department has forecast heavy rain across 26 districts of the state.
After the deluge
The alert followed an exceptional spell of rain in the day up to 8.30 am on Sunday, when Parrys in Chennai logged 363.4 mm, the highest in the state. The northeast monsoon set in over Tamil Nadu on 15 October.
The Greater Chennai Corporation said all 22 city subways had been cleared and reopened by 6 am on Sunday, and that no deaths or major accidents had been reported. Nine relief centres were opened and food was distributed to people in low-lying areas, the civic body said. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay visited the corporation’s headquarters at Ripon Building to review the situation.
As a precaution, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority sent an emergency alert with a warning tone to mobile phones in the city, asking people to stock up on essentials and avoid needless travel. Three National Disaster Response Force teams of 30 personnel each were moved from Arakkonam to Chennai on Sunday.
School holiday question
School Education Minister Rajmohan said on Sunday that the government would decide on school holidays at an appropriate time, after weighing forecasts from the Met office and independent weather watchers. Rajmohan did not announce any closure or say when a decision would come. Parents should watch for official announcements.
Residents of waterlogging-prone areas have been urged to keep following official weather bulletins and safety advisories.
Sources: The New Indian Express, Punjab Kesari (IANS), DT Next (PTI), Punjab Kesari (IANS)
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