Chennai and surrounding areas in Tamil Nadu are bracing for heavy rains as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Saturday, October 19. The alert follows a period of intense rainfall that has already led to flooding in several parts of the state, marking the arrival of the northeast monsoon.
The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for Friday, October 18, warning of scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. The weather department predicts isolated heavy rainfall in these areas on October 20, 21, and 24, while Karnataka is expected to experience heavy rain on October 20 and 21. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam are also on alert for heavy rainfall on October 24.
Specific districts under orange alert include Thiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakkurichi, Thiruvannamalai, Ranipettai, Vellore, Tiruppattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu, as well as Puducherry. Within Chennai, Vandalur, Thiruporur, and Cheyur are under orange alert, while Maduranthakam, Chengalpattu, Tirukazhukundram, Tambaram, Nemili, and Arakkonam are on yellow alert.
Tiruvannamalai district has already experienced heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours, leading to flooding in some areas. In response to the challenging weather conditions, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin expressed gratitude to all volunteers who have been working tirelessly to help residents. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he specifically acknowledged the crucial role of sanitation workers, stating, “A small token of our gratitude for the tremendous service of the sanitation workers who have been roaming around to protect lakhs of people of the capital city from the brunt of the Northeast Monsoon!”
As the heavy rains continue, authorities in Tamil Nadu are urging residents to exercise caution and follow all safety guidelines. The IMD is closely monitoring the situation and will issue further updates as necessary.