A downpour that lashed Coimbatore hardly an hour from 4 p.m. brought the city to a standstill as arterial roads, underpasses and busy commercial areas were flooded.
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Traffic remained choked for about two hours at many places in the city as it took more time for the water accumulated on roads and low-lying areas to get drained even after the rain stopped.
Vehicle movement through major underpasses at Lanka Corner, Uppilipalayam, Kaleeswara Mill, Kikani School, North Coimbatore, Sivananda Colony and Thayir Itteri Road was affected and a few vehicles got stuck in the stretches.
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On Avinashi Road, waterlogging caused traffic snarls at Lakshmi Mills junction and other stretches where flyover works are currently under way.
Motorists had to wade through rainwater mixed with sewage for long stretches on Tiruchi Road, including Ramanathapuram junction. Nanjundapuram Road remained inundated from Ramanathapuram junction to the flyover towards Podanur. Waterlogging slowed down the traffic on Brookebond Road, Mettupalayam Road, Cross Cut Road, 100 Feet Road, Town Hall, Oppanakara Street and parts of Thadagam Road.
The waterlogging hit bus services as well. The services from and towards the Vellalore bridge in the city were diverted, according to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) officials.
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A senior official from the commercial section of TNSTC said the department has 40-50 spare buses ready in case of breakdowns or emergencies.
A Salem Railway Division official said work to unclog rainwater from submerged tracks in Coimbatore and Erode was ongoing and that special measures were taken to tackle heavy rain in coming days. No rescheduling, delaying or cancellation of trains due to downpour are planned so far, according to officials.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s bulletin, 11 mm of rain was recorded in the city from 8.30 a.m on Sunday to 7 p.m on Monday.
A maximum of 32.8C temperature and a minimum 23.2C were recorded on Monday. The IMD further predicted a cloudy sky with light rain from August 30 to September 2.