School, colleges closed amid heavy rain prediction in Chennai

Cyclone Gaja, which slammed the coastal areas of the southern state on Friday last week, claimed 45 lives and damaged over one lakh houses and uprooted lakhs of trees and thousands of electric poles in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai among other districts in the region.

Authorities declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai district on Thursday following a prediction of incessant rainfall in the region, a week after Cyclone Gaja hit the state.

Pedestrians walk with umbrellas during heavy rain in Chennai on November 21, 2018. (AFP)

“Intermittent rain or thundershower is likely to occur in and around Chennai likely heavy at times,” the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai said.

“The sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy. Intermittent rain or thundershower, heavy at times is likely to occur,” it said in its prediction for the state capital.

Last year, heavy rains had lashed Chennai throwing normal life out of gear in the first week of November.

Cyclone Gaja, which slammed the coastal areas of the southern state on Friday last week, claimed 45 lives and damaged over one lakh houses and uprooted lakhs of trees and thousands of electric poles in Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai among other districts in the region.

Relief and restoration work was hit by the heavy rains which continued to pound the region after the cyclone.