New Bay of Bengal system to keep Tamil Nadu under heavy rain till Oct 26

UPDATE - follow-up to Tamil Nadu rains LIVE: Schools declare holiday in Chennai, four other districts: A fresh low‑pressure system forming over the southwest Bay of Bengal will sustain intense rain across Tamil Nadu until October 26, the Regional Meteorological Centre said. Heavy showers persisted into Wednesday morning, with rain measured at several Chennai stations: Meenambakkam recorded 12 cm, Nungambakkam 11 cm, Taramani around 10 cm, Madhavaram 9 cm, and Villivakkam and Nandanam each about 8 cm. Schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Ranipet remained closed for the day, as district collectors issued holiday orders. Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N. Anand toured water‑logged spots in his T. Nagar constituency, ordering motor pumps to clear stagnant water and blaming ongoing Metro Rail work for some of the pooling. The RMC’s 10 a.m. nowcast warned of light to moderate rain with thunderstorms across 24 districts, Karaikal and Puducherry, potentially causing slippery roads and traffic snarls until early afternoon. The India Meteorological Department kept a yellow rain alert for most districts, while orange alerts covered Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Thanjavur and Cuddalore. Visual reports showed flooding on Bazullah Road, Usman Nagar and T Nagar. Forecasts also pointed to isolated heavy rain in Kerala, Mahe, interior Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh through the week.

Context

The northeast monsoon typically brings heavy rain to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between October and December, and a low‑pressure area over the Bay of Bengal often intensifies these showers.