On December 2 in Chennai (LatestNewsX), the city and the neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu announced a holiday for every school and college, after relentless showers—fed by the tail‑end of Cyclone Ditwah—caused widespread disruptions.
The India Meteorological Department warned that a deep‑depression‑type system lingering off the coast would keep delivering heavy rainfall. It’s that system that remains almost motionless, about 50 km east of Chennai, and is expected to shift south‑west, easing into a weaker depression within the next dozen hours while still pumping rain bands over northern Tamil Nadu.
The city’s streets were slick with water from dawn onward, and many main roads and neighbourhoods flooded. Vehicles struggled to make headway and traffic snarls snared commuters trying to maneuver around the waterlogged sections. The nonstop rain brought everyday life to a standstill for much of the metropolis.
In its latest bulletin, the IMD said: “The deep depression located around 50 km east of Chennai is likely to weaken into a depression and move closer to about 30 km from the city in the next 12 hours. As a result, one or two places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal are likely to experience light to moderate rain with thunderstorms. Heavy rain is likely in isolated pockets of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram.”
The meteorological office also forecast continued showers from Wednesday till December 5 in parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal, with occasional thunder and lightning.
District authorities, responding to the heavy‑rain alert, closed all educational facilities for the day. Madras University and Anna University postponed the Tuesday‑scheduled semester exams, with new dates to be released later. Civic officials asked residents to avoid non‑essential travel, stay indoors where possible, and heed safety warnings as the depression looms close to the coast.
aal/dpb
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