Chennai rain live updates: Downpour predicted for next 24 hrs; CM Palaniswami visits RK Nagar, interacts with people

Chennai rains live updates: The meteorological department has predicted heavy to very heavy showers till Saturday (PTI Photo/File)

Heavy rainfall in Chennai and adjoining districts on Thursday night threw life out of gear across the city. Severe water-logging was reported from many parts as Marina Beach locality recorded a whopping 30 cm of rain. Schools and colleges, which have been closed since October 31, remained shut on Friday as well. The state government appealed to private firms in the city to allow their employees to work from home.

While the showers halted since Friday morning, even as the skies remained overcast, the forecast for Chennai and nearby areas for the next 24 hours too suggest that  the weather would remain cloudy, with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.

As per a latest report in news agency PTI, police have confirmed that a middle-aged farmer was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire submerged in water at Manal agaram near Tiruvarur, adding to the toll of rain-related accidents, as the northeast monsoon advanced across the state.

Chennai rains live updates:  

8: 20 pm: A short clip posted on Twitter showed sparks and smoke coming out from a live electric wire after coming in contact with the flooded street. The video is reported to have been recorded near Avadi, a residential locality in western part of Chennai.

.@republic People of Chennai : please avoid traveling through Avadi. pic.twitter.com/61p3CmSc5M

— Ram Prakriya (@RamPrakriya) November 3, 2017

6: 50 pm: See Pics | Chennai rain: Normal life thrown out of gear as heavy rains lash city 

6: 30 pm: As per ANI report, two fishermen are missing since Friday morning. The coastal police have initiated search operation.

6:15 pm: Visuals from rural areas of Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam. Torrential showers on Thursday night resulted in major water-logging in various parts of Tamil Nadu.

Water-logging in various areas of #TamilNadu: Visuals of flooding in village areas of #Nagapattinam pic.twitter.com/aF057Kfp96

— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2017

4:45 pm: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy along with state Ministers on Thursday visited RK Nagar and interacted with the people affected due to heavy downpour in the region, news agency ANI reported.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy visited RK Nagar along with state Ministers, interacted with people affected #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/BSK3JfTzPN

— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2017

4: 10 pm: The local forecast for Chennai and nearby areas for the next 24 hours predicts the weather to remain cloudy, with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. The maximum and minimum temperature is expected to range between 30 degree and 25 degree Celsius.

4:oo pm: Watch video of a flooded street in Chennai, shared by a local resident on YouTube.

3: 50 pm: A man praising the efforts undertaken by the police to clean debris in a flooded street in Chennai posted few pictures on Twitter.

Kudos 2#Chennai Vepery ps Ins Veerakumar cleans debris @CommissionerOff 2drain water respect Police??#ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/rpKjnWTSZ6

— GaneshRagavan (@i_ragavan) November 3, 2017

3:05 pm: Tamil Nadu Minister KP Anbalagan visited water-logged area in Chennai’s Kovilambakkam. A master plan worth 600 crore will be worked out for draining out water from different regions, said the Minister. ” Rain has come all of a sudden. This is nature’s fury, you must understand. We’re working on a war footing to clear water,”he added. news agency ANI reported

Tamil Nadu Minister of higher education KP Anbalagan. (Source: ANI)

2:45 pm: Visuals from Chennai’s Sunnambu Kolathur area show massive water-logging. The mild, intermittent showers post noon Thursday became moderate and then heavy in some pockets last night inundating several more neighbourhoods including West Mambalam and the Guindy Industrial Estate.

2:16 pm: We are facing a tough situation. This happens every year. The government has to take steps to improve the situation, a local Sunnambu Kolathur is quoted as saying by ANI.

1:15 pm:  The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the two girls who were electrocuted in Kodungaiyur on Thursday, reported ANI.

12:50 pm: Meanwhile, several houses were submerged in water as rains lashed Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu for the fifth consecutive day. People of the area have been safely evacuated and are staying in relief camps. More than 10,000 fishermen did not venture into the sea for the fifth consecutive day.

11:45 am: Pictures from Valluvar Kottam area post torrential rains that lasted for 10 hours.

The rain lashed the Valluvar Kottam area for 10 hours straight (Source: ANI)

11:20 am: Train and flight services is back to normal. There is no disruption except for minor delays.

11:08 am: People are trying to catch fish after a compound wall collapsed in neighbouring Red Hills following heavy rainfall in Chennai on Thursday.

People try to catch fish after a compound wall collapsed in Red Hills (PTI Photo)

11:00 am:  The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy rains in Tamil Nadu till Saturday. Chennai and Nungambakkam registered 18 cm rain and Meenambakkam in the southern suburb recorded 14 cm, till 8.30 am Friday.

10:52 am: The government has requested the private firms to allow employees to work from home. Only 25 per cent of Chennai’s six lakes have been filled so far.

10:50 am: Following the torrential overnight rains, situation in Chennai is  now under control. Police and Chennai Corp officials are attending to complaints. Tambaram and parts of North Chennai are reportedly the most affected areas.

10:45 am: Power has been shut down in 70 low lying localities across the city. Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister P Thangamani on Friday said it is expected to be restored by 11:30 am, reports The Hindu.

10:35 am: Heavy traffic congestion and serpentine queues were reported at the arterial Kathipara grade separator, Guindy intersection, Saidapet and all along till Velachery through the Raj Bhavan point.

Traffic snarls were reported across the city (Source: ANI)

10:21 am: Schools have been closed in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts due to rains. Exams at Anna University and Ambedkar Law University has been postponed, reported The Hindu.

10:08 am: The temperature is expected to remain between 24-26 degrees Celsius. Take a look at the forecast for Chennai.

9:55 am: More rain is expected to lash the city. Here are helpline numbers you can use in case of an emergency.  The state government has also appointed IAS officers in charge of monitoring rescue and rehabilitation efforts for each of the 15 zones in the Greater Chennai Corporation.

 

9:45 am: According to a data by the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, relentless rain in and around Chennai has resulted in an increase in the storage levels of reservoirs supplying drinking water to the city. The combined storage of four reservoirs feeding Chennai — Poondi, Cholavaram, Red Hills and Chembarambakkam — stands at 1,925 mcft (million cubic feet), as against the full combined capacity of 11,057 mcft.

9:40 am: As of 10.30 pm on Thursday, Chennai recorded 11.9 cm, Chidambaram AWS (Cuddalore Dist), Kelambakkam (Kancheepuram Dist), Srivaikuntam (Toothukudi Dist) 8 cm each.

9:30 am: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami has appointed ministers to oversee rain relief work in Chennai and in neighbouring Kancheepuram.

9:15 am: Korratur area of Tamil Nadu has been water-logged.

Water-logging in several parts of Chennai (Source: ANI)