Heavy rainfall pounded Tamil Nadu’s Chennai as the northeast monsoon intensified, triggered severe waterlogging and traffic congestion in several parts of the city.
North Chennai bore the initial strain of the showers, recording between 6 cm and 10 cm of rainfall in less than an hour. Videos shared by news agencies ANI and PTI display heavy rains and flooding in the city and residential areas. Chennai locals also shared videos on X expressing agitation over the weather.
The northeast monsoon (often called the winter or retreating monsoon) is a seasonal wind and rainfall pattern that occurs from October to December in the South Asian peninsula. The seasonal rain is particularly significant for Tamil Nadu, which depends heavily on the northeast monsoon for its annual rainfall. The heavy rainfall follows the onset of the northeast monsoon over Tamil Nadu, which started on October 17, according to IMD.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert until 23 October, with very heavy rain lasting until 21 October, across the state. A yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm. Earlier reporting noted: CHENNAI: Heavy rain continued to lash Chennai overnight into Sunday, inundating several areas, with Ennore Port recording 222.5mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 5.30am.
Flooded roads may lead to prolonged traffic congestions, particularly in low-lying areas. Satellite imagery indicated significant convective cloud development over north coastal Tamil Nadu and adjoining sea areas. Broadway, Prakasam Salai, Mannadi and Parry’s Corner also received very heavy rainfall, with some areas recording around 30cm.
Earlier reporting noted: The RMC attributed the rainfall to a cyclonic circulation over northern Tamil Nadu and adjoining southern coastal Andhra Pradesh. Earlier reporting noted: Across the city, Ennore, Tiruvottiyur and Manali were among the affected localities in North Chennai. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in Chennai and neighbouring areas on Sunday, while authorities have mobilised thousands of civic workers and disaster response teams to prepare for possible flooding.
