On Thursday evening, the rain-starved city finally received a spell of showers, much to the delight of residents. However, the rain threw traffic out of gear and flooded several roads.
Residents of many areas said the rains, which started around 5.30 p.m. and lasted for nearly an hour, had led to water-logging in places. Within three hours, ending at 8.30 p.m., the observatories in Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded rainfall levels of 2 cm and 4 cm.
The intermittent rains delayed many people returning home from work. Some like K. Radhika, who works in Nungambakkam, decided to stay back in office until the rains subsided. “I left my vehicle at work and took an auto-rickshaw home,” she said.
Many motorists took shelter under trees and some found it difficult to start their vehicles. It was also evident that stormwater drains in several areas had not been desilted as it took many hours for stagnant rainwater to drain from the roads. Several roads in Kilpauk, T. Nagar, Anna Nagar and Purasawalkam were water-logged.
Meteorological department officials said it was not uncommon for such sharp showers to occur in June. However, rainfall during this period may not last very long, they said. The overcast sky and rainfall has also led to a dip in the maximum temperature in the city with Nungambakkam recording 36.5 degree Celsius, which is one degree below average.
The department forecasts a similar weather pattern for Friday as well, and rain or thundershower may occur in some areas.
Keywords: showers, south-west monsoon
