Chennai heavy rains marked the first active spell of the northeast monsoon in Tamil Nadu, inundating several localities, disrupting traffic and prompting a yellow alert for 17 districts, including the state capital, the Regional Meteorological Centre and India Meteorological Department said.
Several parts of Chennai and neighbouring districts received heavy showers on Saturday night. North Chennai bore the initial brunt, recording between 6 cm and 10 cm of rainfall in less than an hour, according to the rainfall assessment cited by the RMC. The intense spell left multiple localities inundated and affected movement on city roads.
The heaviest rainfall during the 24-hour period ending at 5.30 pm on Saturday was recorded at Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram district, which received 15 cm. Manalurpet in Kallakurichi recorded 12 cm during the same period. The figures indicate that the active monsoon conditions extended beyond the Chennai metropolitan region into several parts of northern and central Tamil Nadu.
The RMC and IMD said the northeast monsoon had entered an active phase. The weather system was driven by an upper-air cyclonic circulation over north Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh, along with a trough extending from Lakshadweep to the southwest Bay of Bengal.
The IMD issued a yellow alert for 17 districts until October 23. The warning includes Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore and Tiruchi. Under the IMD warning classification cited in the report, a yellow alert corresponds to heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.
Widespread rainfall is forecast across Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, the Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli. Rain is also expected in Puducherry and Karaikal.
For Chennai, the first major spell places renewed attention on the city’s ability to keep roads, neighbourhoods and transport links functioning during intense short-duration rainfall. The reported inundation and traffic disruption occurred alongside rainfall concentrated in a short period, while the alert period extends across several days and covers districts with different exposure to heavy showers.
The meteorological agencies’ forecast remains the immediate operational reference for residents and civic authorities. The yellow alert for the affected districts is in force until October 23, with further rainfall expected across Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Puducherry and Karaikal.
