Schools and colleges in seven districts of Tamil Nadu, including state capital Chennai, are closed today in anticipation of heavy rain. The India Meteorological Department forecasts "very heavy" rainfall in Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts today and "heavy" rainfall in Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi. Heavy rain has been lashing Chennai and the other coastal districts in Tamil Nadu, with several parts of the state facing very high levels of flooding.