Brief
Chennai and three Tamil Nadu districts placed on orange alert after 36 cm of rain floods city
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inspected flood‑control centres as orange alerts were issued for four districts following record rainfall.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Heavy overnight thunderstorms left Chennai under water after Parrys Corner recorded 36 cm of rain, prompting orange alerts for Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre.
What happened
Rainfall began in the evening of October 18 and continued through the night, turning streets into streams. In addition to Parrys Corner’s 36 cm, Kathivakkam near Tiruvottiyur logged 33 cm and Sathangadu 25 cm. More than 30 locations, including Royapuram, Tondiarpet, Egmore, Saidapet, Nungambakkam and Alandur, reported over 10 cm of rain. Knee‑deep water was reported outside the government maternity hospital on Tiruvottiyur’s main road, and a Navaratri pandal near the Vadivudaiyamman temple collapsed after water entered the shrine. Floodwater pooled on Royapuram’s GP Road, stranding motorists, while the Gemini flyover in Nungambakkam saw traffic disruption.
What the reports add
The Regional Meteorological Centre warned that heavy to very heavy rain is likely across the four districts today and listed additional districts expecting heavy showers, including Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruvallur, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Erode. An orange alert was also issued for Tirunelveli and Madurai for tomorrow, with forecasts of heavy rain in Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Salem, Chennai, Chengalpattu and several other districts, bringing the total to 35 districts expecting heavy rain.
What was said
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inspected the Chennai Corporation’s control centre at Ripon Buildings, accompanied by ministers Aadhav Arjuna and Arunraj, as reported by News18. The inspection proceeded as scheduled despite the flooding.
How it came about
The northeast monsoon set in over Tamil Nadu on October 15 and has delivered heavy showers since, escalating to the extreme rainfall that caused the current flooding. Earlier bulletins had placed Chennai under a red alert for extremely heavy rain before the orange alert was issued.
Key facts
- Parrys Corner recorded 36 cm of rain overnight (news18.com)
- Orange alerts were issued for Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris (news18.com)
- Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inspected the flood‑control centre at Ripon Buildings (news18.com)
Sources
- [1] news18.com — originally reported as “36 CM In One Night? Chennai Reels As 4 Districts Go Orange And CM Vijay Hits The Ground”
