A bulletin issued by the Met office here on Friday said

the Deep Depression over the Gulf of Mannar close to

Ramanathapuram District coast remained practically

stationary during the past three hours and lay centered

about 40 km southwest of Ramanathapuram, 70 km

west-south west of Pamban and 160 km northeast of

Kanniyakumari.

The associated wind speed is about 55-65 gusting to

75 kmph.

It is likely to move slowly west-southwestwards and cross

the Ramanathapuram and adjoining Thoothukudi districts

during the next six hours with wind speed of 50-60 gusting

to 70 kmph.

It is very likely to weaken further into a Depression with a

wind speed 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmp) during the

next 12 hours.

Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a

few places is likely to occur over south Tamilnadu and

at isolated places over Kerala and Mahe during the

next 24 hours.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is also

very likely over north Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal

during the same period.

The Met office has issued yellow alert to South Tamil Nadu,

North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, Kerala and Mahe

and to South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep as

rainfall would occur at most places with heavy to very

heavy falls at a few places.

Northern districts of Chidambaram in Cuddalore district

and its surrounding areas received close to 30 cm of rain

during the last 24 hrs ending at 0830 hrs this morning.

Meanwhile, heavy rains battered Chennai city, cauvery delta

and southern districts since last night.

The rains, which started last night, poured almost non stop

in Chennai city, resulting in waterlogging of several areas,

besides causing hardship to office-goers.

Several roads and low-lying areas were inundated. In some

areas like West Mambalam and southern suburbs, people

had to wade through knee deep water as them rains continued

on Friday morning, without any respite.

The Tamil Nadu Government has declared a public holiday

for today for six districts in view of the heavy rains and the

southern railway has announced partial cancellation of some

trains heading towards the south and those leaving from

there.

Sources in Chennai airport said, a total of 12 flights to and

from Tuticorin, Madurai and Kochi were cancelled due to

heavy rains.

They said departure of eight flights to destinations like Mumbai,

Kolkata, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Trichy, Dubai and

Abu Dhabi were delayed due to heavy rains.

UNI GV 0930