Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry brace for heavy rains

Parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala will see heavy rains over the next 24 hours, the regional weather office said on Wednesday (October 30). These areas include Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Madurai.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry received good rains in the last 24 hours with 80 places recording heavy to very heavy rains. The Indian Meteorological Department predicted further rainfall till October 31.

“Tiruttani in Tiruvallore district recorded the highest rainfall of 19 cm,” said S Balachandran, Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre.

Official sources said that Puducherry and its suburbs recorded 9 cm rain during the last 24 hours.

Heavy rainfall battered Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district. On October 30, the IMD issued a yellow alert for the district and forecast more rainfall for October 31.

Balachandran warned fishermen to not venture into the seas along Kanyakumari, Lakshdweep, and south Kerala coast on October 31.

The Tamil Nadu government had also announced earlier that all educational institutions in the districts of Vellore, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Virudhunagar, Madurai and Theni would remain shut on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall.

The rains are said to have been caused by a depression over the Comorin area, which is likely to intensify into a deep depression, and later, into a cyclonic storm. “It is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 48 hours,” Balachandran told reporters here.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) released a statement which noted that the river basins of Kosasthalaiyar, Adyar, Ponnar and Vellar received moderate to heavy rainfall, which may result in a significant increase in water inflow to their respective reservoirs.

The CWC also warned officials of all dams and reservoirs to be vigilant regarding the increase in water inflow.

Advisory Flood Forecast issued by Executive Engineer CWC Chennai for all small dams in Kosasthaliyar, Ponnaiyar, Vellar Basin is appended. @tnsdma @oficeofGSS @CWCOfficial_GoI @the_hindu @PIB_India @ndmaindia @NDRFHQ @News18TamilNadu @dailythanthi @pttv_tweets @SunnewstamiI pic.twitter.com/qUUH9Tod5Y

— Central Water Commission Official Flood Forecast (@CWCOfficial_FF) October 30, 2019