MADURAI: Light to moderate rain occurred in Madurai and some other districts in the southern region, providing respite from summer heat much to the delight of the people on Monday. Skies were overcast throughout the day.

Copious amounts of rain over the Western Ghats region caused flooding in Suruli waterfalls in Theni and tourists were restricted as a precaution.

Heavy rains in Kerala during this monsoon season caused flooding in Courtallam of Tenkasi district and therefore, tourists were restricted from bathing in the waterfalls. As the IMD issued an orange alert for Tenkasi, restrictions have been in place since Friday afternoon and will remain in effect till Tuesday morning. Moreover, the downpour in Sengottai caused damage to the banana fields.

The monsoonal showers in parts of Kanniyakumari district wreaked havoc. Balamore in Thovalai taluk received 55.4 mm, the highest amount of rain in the district.

Collector R Alagumeena on Monday convened a meeting with officials to ensure that rescue and restoration works were carried out immediately.

Strong winds from Friday to Sunday caused damage to 26 houses in Vilavancode, Thiruvattar and Thovalai taluks. Moreover, 61 trees fell causing downed power lines. Of the damaged 185 electricity poles, 140 poles have been restored to normalcy.

The people were advised to download the ‘TN-ALERT’ app to track the weather forecasts. Moreover, the district administration opened a control room and the public could dial toll-free numbers ‘1077’ and 04652-231077 to report rain-related incidents for immediate assistance.