Heavy Rain Alert In Tamil Nadu Today; All Schools Closed In 7 Districts

All schools and colleges are closed in seven districts of Tamil Nadu today amid heavy rainfall in several parts of the state since last night.

The weather office has predicted "heavy to very heavy rainfall" at isolated places in south Tamil Nadu today. After the alert, the district administrations of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Theni, Virudhunagar, Vellore, Madurai and Ramanathapuram declared a one-day holiday in the educational institutions. Schools are also closed in hill town of Kodaiakanal in Dindigul district.

A heavy rain alert has also been sounded for Puducherry, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep. In its weather bulletin, the India Meteorological Department said thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is likely at isolated places in Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Several areas in south Karnataka may also receive heavy rainfall today.

"Heavy rainfall likely at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Telangana and coastal and south interior Karnataka," the IMD said in its bulletin. A sharp increase in wind, reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph, is likely over Gulf of Mannar, Comorin, Lakshadweep, Maldives, south Kerala and adjoining the southeast Arabian Sea. Strong winds with speed reaching 190-200 kmph gusting to 220 kmph are likely over the west-central Arabian Sea, the weather office said.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture in these coastal areas.

According to the weather office, Cyclone Kyarr, a tropical storm that formed in the Arabian Sea, is likely to weaken. It has moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 4 kmph during the past six hours.

"It is very likely to weaken into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during the morning of October 30 and further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm by the morning of October 31," the IMD said.

(With inputs from ANI)

(With inputs from ANI)