Chennai, Nov 18 (UNI) The Low Pressure Area over the bay on
Thursday lay centred as a well marked Low Pressure Area over
Southwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal off North
Tamil Nadu-South Andhra Pradesh coasts.
The system lay centred about 340 km south-east of Chennai and
300 km from Puducherry. It will reach the North Tamil Nadu coast
later today.
It is very likely to intensify into a depression during the next 12 hours.
Met office sources said the intensity of the rainfall will be very heavy if
the system intensified into a depression.
Under its influence heavy rains and extremely heavy rains in excess of
20 cms, is likely to occur in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpet,
Cuddalore and Villupuram districts during the next 24 hours.
A red alert has been issued to these districts and a 20-member NDRF team
have been rushed to Tiruvallur district as a preventive measure to undertake
relief and restoration works.
The met office said heavy rain is also likely to occur in North interior Tamil Nadu
during the same period.
Schools and colleges in several districts have declared a holiday for today in
view of the heavy rains.
Meanwhile, incessant rains lashed Chennai city, suburbs and several southern
districts and western regions since last evening.
The spells were heavy at times leading to water-logging in low lying areas in the
city and suburbs.
Police sources said though it has been raining in all parts of Chennai, there was
no impact on the traffic.
As the met office has forecast extremely heavy rains, the Greater Chennai
Corporation officials have appealed to the people to keep enough stock
of essentials like milk, curd, vegetables for the next two days and advised
them not to venture out of their houses.
UNI GV 1045