CHENNAI, Nov 17: While Chennai and its adjoining districts are slowly limping back to normalcy after the heavy downpour and consequent inundation recently, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted another round of heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
The IMD has issued a red alert for Chennai and the adjoining districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu on Thursday with heavy rainfall likely in these areas. The IMD has warned that the extremely heavy rainfall would lead to 20.4 cm of rain in some places.
It has warned that a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal with an associated cyclonic circulation is persisting in the area bringing rain. This may move westwards and reach west-central and southwest Bay of Bengal. This could bring rain off the South Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu coasts on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Chennai and its adjoining districts received moderate to heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon with the skies becoming heavily overcast. Saravanakumar, an IT professional with a private firm, told IANS, “We are slowly recovering from the earlier spell of rain and my neighbourhood at Adayar is still water-logged. Today since afternoon the atmosphere is cloudy and it is dark over here. It could be another major downpour in Chennai and adjoining areas.”
The IMD has also predicted that by Wednesday night the rain could be heavy to extreme in some parts of Chennai and adjoining districts and might extend up to Puducherry.
Fire and rescue personnel, police, health department, the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have geared up for any eventuality.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin chaired a meeting of senior officials including the Chief Secretary to ascertain the ground level situation in Chennai and adjoining areas.
IANS
