Remnants of cyclone Ditwah near TN-Pondy coasts cause spells of rain

CHENNAI: Several parts in Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Ranipet continued to receive moderate downpour on Monday due to the remnants of the cyclonic storm Ditwah that remained close to Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.

The system, which weakened into a deep depression, will further weaken and the remnants could cause rain, the IMD said.

It is likely to remain stationary as a weakened system for the next 24 hours.

With the continuous downpour leading to the cancellation of ten flights from here, causing waterlogging in many areas, and affecting the districts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin held a meeting with the collectors and took stock of the situation arising due to the impact of the cyclone.

He enquired with the Cauvery delta district collectors and Agriculture Department officials on the damage caused to the standing crop due to heavy rainfall.

As spells of rain continued throughout the day, the Greater Chennai Corporation said it has kept 103 boats on standby to be used in rescue operations in low-lying areas in case of any emergency.

About 60 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 30 personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were on standby. Adequate numbers of motor pumps of various capacities were kept ready to drain rainwater in affected areas in all 15 zones under the GCC.

Around 20 trees that fell or were uprooted due to the cyclone in Chennai from November 29 till today were removed. A total of 32,500 people were provided food on November 30, while another 83,600 people were served food today, a release from the GCC said.

The civic body has stocked one lakh packets of Aavin milk powder, 5 kg rice, 1 kg dal and 1 litre palm oil to be distributed to the elderly and children affected by the rain.

Ennore in Chennai received a maximum rainfall of 129.90 mm while Utthandi registered a minimum rainfall of 4.80 mm today. The city received an average of 68.26 mm of rainfall from 8.30 am to 2 pm today.

The Chennai Airport has announced the cancellation of ten flights from Chennai to Port Blair. It appealed to the passengers to check with their respective airlines for further updates.

Anticipating a heavy spell in the evening, several schools in Chennai announced half-a-day holiday today. Traffic moved at a slow pace in the arterial Kathirapa junction here due to waterlogging and in Egmore traffic came to a standstill due to a fallen tree.

People in Rameswaram continue to face hardship as nearly 200 habitations in Thangachimadam were marooned due to heavy rain since the last two days.

"The deep depression (remnant of cyclonic storm Ditwah) over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of west central Bay of Bengal, North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh coasts moved slowly northwards with the speed of 3 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered today over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh coasts, about 50 km east of Chennai, 140 km northeast of Puducherry, 160 km north-northeast of Cuddalore, 170 km south-southeast of Nellore," the IMD said.

The minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 35 km. It is very likely to move slowly northwards parallel to north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts and maintain the intensity of deep depression till evening. Thereafter, continuing to move slowly northwards, it is very likely to weaken into a depression during the subsequent 12 hours.

The system will be centered over west central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 30 km from the Chennai coast by today evening, it said.

Private weather bloggers claimed that rain intensity was likely to pick up in Chennai as the intense rain bands were moving into the city from the north. The cloud mass was now closer to the TN coast, with the bulk of cold tops brushing towards the Chennai belt.