Tamil Nadu rains: Heavy rain pounds Chennai as IMD notifies red alert- See pics

The IMD issued red alert for Chennai as heavy rains pounded Tamil Nadu's capital on Thursday.

Pic Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Amid prediction of heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red alert for Tamil Nadu’s Chennai on Thursday (November 18). Rains lashed the southern city with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in coastal districts.

Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Ranipet are expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall due to the low pressure around the coast on Thursday, the IMD had said earlier. 

"All coastal districts are on red alert and orange alert also issued in some of the districts," Puviarasan, Director, MET Department, Chennai told ANI. 

Tamil Nadu: Rain lashes parts of Chennai with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in coastal districts.

"All coastal districts are on red alert and orange alert also issued in some of the districts," says Puviarasan, Director, MET Department, Chennai pic.twitter.com/wBUUcAHx7D — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2021

Taking to Twitter, the weather forecasting agency said that depression has formed over the Bay of Bengal and it will cross the coast between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by early November 19. “A depression has formed over southwest Bay of Bengal at 0830 hours IST (8.30 am) of today, the 18th November about 310 km southeast of Chennai. To move west-northwestwards and cross north TN and adjoining south AP coasts by the early morning of 19th Nov," IMD informed in a tweet. 

The agency also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy showers as "very likely" over north Tamil Nadu and adjoining southern districts in the next 24 hours, PTI reported. 

Earlier, the weather department had predicted that coastal region of Tamil Nadu would receive heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls in the southern coastal region of Andhra Pradesh-- Rayalaseema and adjoining areas of north Tamil Nadu during the next 24 hours.

Following red alert in Chennai, a War Room was set up at the Chennai Corporation for monitoring rain-related incidents. 

As a precaution, all schools and colleges in the Theni district have been closed in the backdrop of heavy rainfall, the District Collector on Thursday. As per IMD, the Theni district can receive heavy rainfall today.

(With agency inputs)