2 Killed After Getting Hit By Lightning Amid Heavy Rains In Tamil Nadu

Two people died after getting struck by lightning in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi and Salem districts amid heavy rains, taking the total number of rain-related deaths this monsoon season to four in the state.

Earlier, a 17-year-old boy was swept away in flash floods at the Courtrallam waterfalls in Tenkasi district. Another man died in a roof collapse in Madurai. So far, damage to seven huts and 14 cattle have been reported.

Heavy rains pounded several districts in the south, west and delta regions. Kamudhi in Ramanathapuram district received 12.44 cm of rain, while Tallakulam in Madurai received 10.8 cm of rain, and Pullambadi in Trichy received 9.8 cm of rain. 

The Meteorological Department has forecast extremely heavy rains in pockets of Kanniyakumari, Theni, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts on Tuesday, besides heavy to very heavy rains in Virudhunagar, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Dindigul districts. 

The forecast for the next three days predicts heavy rains in the southern, western and delta districts of Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu government has deployed the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in Kanniyakumari, Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts. 
Fishermen are advised to stay away from the sea for five days as windspeeds could touch between 40 and 45 km per hour. 

The MET department said low pressure is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal on the 22nd, which could turn into a depression on the 24th.

The weather office has also advised deep-sea fishermen to return before the 23rd.