Be prepared for a wet week. The current spell is expected to last another three days, the meteorological department said.
There will be heavy showers in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts on Wednesday. Schools in Tiruvallur district will remain closed on Wednesday.
The rains will reduce as the week progresses but the city needs several more heavy spells to achieve its annual rainfall levels.
The current downpour is due to a trough of low pressure extending from Sri Lanka to the west central bay off Andhra Pradesh coast and across the southwest bay, off Tamil Nadu coast.
On Monday, several places in and around Chennai received heavy overnight rains. However, for the most part of Tuesday, there were just light rains. Meteorological department officials said maximum rain during the northeast monsoon occurs at night, between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam received only 1 cm of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Poondi in Tiruvallur district received the highest rainfall at 11 cm, Meenambakkam recorded 8 cm and Nungambakkam 4 cm in the past 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. Mahabalipuram, Kelambakkam, Ennore, Poonamallee and Tambaram too registered heavy rainfall.
“We need more rains to bridge the gap in annual rainfall. Chennai has received just 98 cm so far against its yearly normal of 140 cm. Weather models indicate the rains will decrease after Wednesday,” an official said.
The four fast-drying reservoirs that supply water to the city were replenished with the downpour on Monday night. Heavy inflows into the reservoirs in Poondi, Red Hills, Cholavaram and Chembarampakkam have stepped up storage by 500 million cubic feet on Tuesday.
The Chennai Corporation’s toll-free helpline 1913 was flooded with calls from many parts of the city. Over 60 per cent of the complaints were about inundation of residential neighbourhoods.
Most of such calls were from residents of Pallikaranai, Thiruvanmiyur, Mylapore and Kodambakkam. Six trees in Thirumangalam, Otteri, Kodambakkam and Thiruvanmiyur were uprooted.
Many commuters had to contend with a flooded bus terminus at Koyambedu. “I was reluctant to step into the stagnant pools of water. The entry and exit points at the terminus were also flooded,” said S. Giridhar, who had gone to the terminus to pick up a relative.
Drivers of autorickshaws and two-wheelers complained of stalled vehicles due to waterlogged roads.
“I spent Rs. 100 to get a spanner on loan to repair my vehicle. By the time I finished, I was completely drenched,” said an autorickshaw driver.
