The upper reaches of the Western Ghats, especially in the Nilgiris and Valparai taluk in Coimbatore district, received substantial rainfall in the last 24 hours that ended at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday. However, rural and urban pockets in the plains just witnessed a cloudy sky and slight drizzle occasionally.
Torrential rain resulted in the District Collectors of Coimbatore and the Nilgiris declaring local holiday for schools in Valparai taluk and in Gudalur and Pandalur taluks in the Nilgiris respectively.
Coimbatore district received an average rainfall of 38.11 mm.
The highest rainfall was recorded at Chinnakallar (125 mm), followed by Cinchona (110 mm), Valparai Taluk Office (102 mm) and Valparai PAP (93 mm).
However, there was very less or no rain in other areas.
Next to Valparai PAP, the highest recorded rainfall was at Pollachi (12 mm). Total rainfall recorded at various places in the district stood at 457.30 mm.
In the neighbouring Nilgiris district, total rainfall reported was 1,051.40 mm in the last 24 hours that ended at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday and the average rainfall stood at 61.85 mm.
Highest 238 mm rainfall was reported at Upper Bhavani, followed by 178 mm at Avalanche, Devala recorded 124 mm, Naduvattam recorded 107.50 mm rainfall and 124 mm was recorded at G. Bazaar. Glenmorgan recorded 70 mm and Emerald recorded 60 mm rainfall.
Heavy rain has helped improve the water level in the Siruvani Reservoir.
According to sources in the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, the rainfall recorded at the reservoir stood at 127 mm and should be more or less similar in the catchments as well.
The downpour had resulted in the water level go up by 1.1 metre or 3.60 feet. Water level was marginally above the dead storage level – 1.31 feet, they say.
The rise in water level will provide the much-needed relief to the Board and Coimbatore Corporation engineers, who tap the water to feed the residents of over 20 wards. They say that for the first time in June 2016 the water level had crossed the dead storage level.
They say that if the rains continue this way for the next few days then the water managers will get relief.
Heavy rains on Tuesday brought down three trees at Gudalur and a tree near the Collector’s office at Udhagamandalam on Wednesday. They were cut and removed by the Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel.
They said that rains and heavy winds brought down two to four trees every day at Gudalur over the last one week.
The compound wall of a house and a house were damaged at Anna Nagar in Valparai. Streams in the locality ran to their brim.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel said that there was no other major damage to properties due to the rain in the other parts of the district.
In Coimbatore and nearby areas, there was occasional drizzle and mild showers in some areas over the last two days.
