Tamil Nadu braces for more rain, 8 districts put on red alert

CHennai: ii swell pronounced depression force per unit area areas in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are strengthening into a depression that brought heavy rainfall to Tamil Nadu’s various districts on Tuesday. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai put 8 districts on red alert ( highest level of warning indicating extremely heavy rain) including Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, officials said.Chennai and its adjoining districts are on orange alert.On October 21, from 8.30am up to 5.30pm, the highest rainfall in the state was recorded in Chennai’s Nungambakkam station with 61.8 mm rainfall. This was followed by Pamban in Ramanathapuram- 53 mm and Madurai district - 41 mm.Also Read | Heavy rain lashes across Tamil Nadu, more showers expectedThe RMC has forecast heavy rains until October 22 after which its intensity will come down to moderate and light rain. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that the two weather systems would bring heavy to very heavy rainfall of 7cm to 20cm and in some parts even more than 21 cm rainfall over Tamil Nadu and neighbouring union territory of Puducherry on October 21 and 22.To review preparedness for the monsoon, chief minister MK Stalin held a meeting in Chennai with the department of disaster management and authorities of delta districts via video conference on Tuesday. He ordered district monitoring officers to immediately reach areas in the city as well as the districts which have been put under red and orange alert. The chief minister appointed a senior IAS officer each for 12 districts where heavy rainfall has been forecast. “The chief minister advised that relief camps must be kept ready and asked officials to pay attention to taking precautionary measures in low lying areas in Chennai,” a statement from the government said. JCBs, boats, motor pumps have been kept ready for relief work while the senior officials also inspected storage for paddy in delta districts.Also Read | Schools shut in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi after weather panel's heavy rain alertDeputy chief minister Udayanidhi Stalin who inspected various zones in Chennai on Tuesday said motor pumps have been brought in to all low lying areas.Under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the South Bay of Bengal, a low pressure area formed on Tuesday. “It is likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over Southwest & adjoining West Central Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-Karaikal & South Andhra Pradesh coasts by Wednesday afternoon (22nd October),” the RMC said.The north east monsoon has been active in Tamil Nadu. Temperatures dipped with Chennai cooling down to 28 degrees Celsius.