Chennai: The sudden rain early on Monday morning caught Chennaiites unaware. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) not warning the citizens on a real-time basis, the heavy downpour created havoc in Chennai and nearby areas. While several flights were delayed and diverted, the rain also inundated arterial roads affecting the traffic on Monday.
Meenambakkam recorded 5.18 cm rain between 1 and 4 am.
“I was surprised to hear the sound of the rain early in the morning. When I came out, I saw the roads completely inundated. So, I couldn’t take my car out to work,” said Naresh Gupta, a resident of Virugambakkam. With water stagnating at several places due to ongoing road works, schoolchildren and office-goers experienced hardship on the first day of the week.
IMD’s Area Cyclone Warning Centre director S.R. Ramanan said that the rain was due to low pressure over the Arabian Sea. “The low pressure area in the Arabian Sea was drawing the moisture from the Bay of Bengal and it brought rain to Chennai,” he added. According to Mr Ramanan, the city would only receive isolated rainfall for the next two days.
However, weather researchers called Monday’s rain unusual. “Yesterday and today we got rain from a height of 5.5 km. Now the circulation is descending and we are getting rain from a height of 3 km.
The upper level winds beyond 5 km were north-eastern, while the lower winds were southwestern,” Pradeep John, a weather researcher, said.
For a 24-hour period, ended 8.30 am on Monday, Nungambakkam recorded 3.62 cm rain while the airport town, Meenambakkam, registered 5.18 cm rainfall. Kancheepuram recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 7 cm. Kolapakkam, Kelambakkam and Chembarabakkam registered 6 cm rainfall each. Sriperumbudur, Red Hills and Maduranthagam received 4 cm rain each.
