Highlights: More rains forecast for Chennai in next 24 hrs, schools to remain shut

Torrential overnight rains for about ten hours brought Chennai and neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur to a grinding halt, paralysing normal life completely.

Schools and colleges, which are closed since 31 October due to rains, will be shut on Saturday as well in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.

A wary Tamil Nadu government asked IT companies to declare a holiday for their employees and universities postponed examinations with most of the roads under water.

The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy showers in north coastal Tamil Nadu till tomorrow.

“In 24 hours, heavy rainfall is expected in few places in north coastal region, while heavy to very heavy rainfall in south coastal region,” said MeT official S Balachandran.

Here are the highlights:

3pm: “We have worked out Rs 600 crore master plan which will work in various ways to drain out the water,” said minister KP Anbalagan, who visited water-logged area of Kovilambakkam.

2.50pm: Massive water-logging in parts of Tamil Nadu followed by heavy rainfall.

Locals wade through flood waters in Chennai’s Sunnambu Kolathur area on Friday. (ANI Twitter)

12.59 pm: People have been evacuated to safety in Tarangambadi and Sirkazhi Taluks in the district where hundreds of houses have been flooded.

12.58 pm: Incessant heavy rains lashed Nagapattinam district for the fifth consecutive day on Friday, inundating hundreds of houses and submerging paddy crops in thousands of hectares.

11.52 am: With heavy rains abating and power supply restored, residents in several localities come out for buying essential supplies.

11.42 am: Clogged sewer lines, coupled with the heavy rain, forces water inside several houses in south Chennai.

11 am: Severe water-logging in Kovilambakkam, a suburb within Chennai.

10.57 am: Flight operations at the city airport were normal, airport officials said.

10.50 am: The power supply, which was cut as a precautionary measure on Thursday, was restored on Friday.

10.35 am: A “signalling snag,” hit train services between the St Thomas Mount and Kodambakkam suburban section since 9.30 pm Thursday. Services were restored at 3.20 am today, Railway officials said.

10.31 am: Mudichur and Velachery were nearly cut off due to the heavy rain.

10.05 am: Residents of Mudichur held protests, sitting in stagnant water, blaming the officials and government for doing nothing even as water entered their homes.

9. 55 am: Traffic on most of the arterial roads came to a crawling halt as the roads were flooded with water of up to knee level in most areas.

9.43 am: Traffic police personnel were on the ground even at midnight, guiding traffic in hevay rain, from Chennai central railway station and beyond and were stationed at most of the places that were inundated.

9.30 am: “Rainfall activity will continue over north coastal Tamil Nadu with heavy to very heavy rain over Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chennai districts during the next 24 hours,” a special bulletin issued at 8.30 am said .