Schools and colleges in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, including state capital Chennai, will be closed today in anticipation of heavy rains. The India Meteorological Department forecasts "very heavy" rainfall in Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts today and "heavy" rainfall in Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi.
Many districts in the state got a respite from rains today amid a "very heavy" rain forecast. Chennai received only up to 6.5 mm of rain till 5:30 pm, Kanniyakumari 4 mm, Nagapattinam 17 mm, Thoothukudi 0.5 mm, Thiruchendur 11 mm, and Kodaikanal 15 mm.
However, Cuddalore received 7 cm and Puducherry 6.6 cm of rain.
A red alert for heavy rainfall was issued for five districts of the state by the weather department two days ago, following which schools and colleges were closed in 22 districts after several areas were flooded.
Incessant rains have battered the state and caused widespread damage to crops, buildings, and roads. It has also led to waterlogging and flooding in several areas till now.
Officials are bracing for waterlogging, severe crop damages, uprooting of trees, damage to cattle, and an increase in water levels in the rivers and lakes following the heavy rainfall warning.
Crops spread over more than 50,000 hectares have been battered by heavy rain in Tamil Nadu till now which received 68 per cent more than the average downpour this monsoon season.
More than 2,300 homes have been damaged due to the heavy rain which has been pounding the state since October. Two-thirds of the state got flooded as the rain peaked with two successive spells in the second week of November.
Tamil Nadu Braces For Heavy Rain, Schools Shut In Chennai, Nearby Districts Man Electrocuted At Flooded ATM In Chennai, Body Found Floating In Water Cyclone Likely To Hit Tamil Nadu Today, Heavy Rain Lashes Several Parts 11 Dead, Many Critical In Jaipur Fire As 2 Trucks Collide Outside Petrol Pump "Go Ahead": What Arun Jaitley Told Raghuram Rajan About Tackling Bad Loans 52 kg Gold, Rs 10 Crore Cash Found In Abandoned Innova In Bhopal Jungle 'Buy Oil And Gas From US, Or Else...': Donald Trump Threatens Europe Tech Millionaire Bryan Johnson Takes More Than 50 Pills A Day To Not Die Bail For BJP's CT Ravi, Held For Alleged Derogatory Remark On Woman Minister Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.