Tamil Nadu: Orange alert issued for Chennai, three districts ahead of heavy rain forecast

Chennai: An orange alert has been issued for Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris on Monday, with the weather department forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in the four districts amid widespread rain across Tamil Nadu.

The weather centre, in a bulletin, said several other districts would also receive heavy rainfall. The forecast indicates an extensive spell of rain covering the northern, western, central and southern parts of the state.

Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruvallur, Tiruppur, Dindigul and Theni are among the districts likely to experience heavy rain. Similar conditions are expected in Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi.

The department has also predicted heavy rainfall in Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore and Perambalur, extending the rain forecast across the southern districts and the Cauvery delta region. Other districts covered by the heavy rainfall forecast include Ariyalur, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Tirupattur, Erode and Namakkal.

Chennai and its neighbouring districts, therefore, remain within the forecast area, while western districts, including Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, face the possibility of more intense rainfall.

The bulletin distinguishes between the four districts placed under an orange alert and the other districts where heavy rainfall has been forecast. Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain on Monday. For Tuesday, the weather department has issued an orange alert for Tirunelveli and Madurai, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely.

The forecast points to continued rain across much of Tamil Nadu for a second consecutive day. Heavy rainfall is also expected on Tuesday in Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri.

In northern Tamil Nadu, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet and Tiruvallur are among the districts likely to receive heavy rain.

Chennai and Chengalpattu also feature in Tuesday’s forecast. The weather centre said Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Karur, Perambalur, Namakkal, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai and Thanjavur would also be among the districts experiencing heavy rainfall tomorrow.

Overall, the department has forecast heavy rain across 35 districts on Tuesday, indicating that the wet spell is likely to remain widespread.

While the orange alerts cover Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and the two western districts, Tuesday’s alerts focus on Tirunelveli and Madurai. Heavy rainfall, however, is expected to continue across several other regions, including the Chennai area, western Tamil Nadu and parts of the delta, according to the bulletin.

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