E-Paper
Chennai on red alert as Cyclone Ditwah continues to bring heavy rain
Chennai weather: Chennai and Thiruvallur are likely to receive extremely heavy rain, with maximum temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius.
Chennai has been placed under a red alert as a deep depression, the remnant of Cyclonic Storm Ditwah, over the west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, near the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, triggers extremely heavy rainfall across several Tamil Nadu districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued a red alert for Thiruvallur on Tuesday.
According to the weekly forecast, Chennai and Thiruvallur are likely to receive extremely heavy rain, with maximum temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures near 23 degrees Celsius.
The weather system is likely to recurve towards the southwest and is expected to weaken into a depression within the next 12 hours. “The minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression from the north Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coasts is about 35 km. It is very likely to recurve slowly southwestwards and weaken into a depression during the next 12 hours,” the IMD said.
Also read| Cyclone Ditwah: Schools, colleges shut in Chennai, other districts amid rain alert
Chennai weather
Chennai is expected to see unsettled weather over the coming days, with heavy to moderate rainfall predicted across the region.
On December 3, the city will experience a generally cloudy sky with heavy rain, while temperatures are likely to hover around 29 degrees Celsius during the day and 24 degrees at night.
From December 4 onwards, conditions are forecast to turn partly cloudy, but a consistent possibility of moderate rain or thunderstorms - often accompanied by lightning - remains. This pattern is expected to continue through December 5, 6, and 7, with daytime temperatures stable at around 30 degrees Celsius and night temperatures ranging between 25 degrees and 26 degrees.
Chennai schools closed
In view of heavy rains triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Kanchipuram will remain shut on December 2 after district authorities announced the precautionary measure late on Monday.
District collectors of the three districts confirmed that all educational institutions would observe a holiday due to the prevailing weather alerts, ANI reported. Officials said the closure aims to ensure student safety amid the risk of intense rainfall and potential waterlogging.
Residents have also been urged to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow advisories issued by the state government and disaster management agencies.
