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Intermittent, widespread rains lashed Chennai and other regions of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and the India meteorological department said the low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal has turned into a well-marked low pressure area and it is likely to become a depression.
Civic authorities said there has been no water stagnation in subways in Chennai in view of preventive maintenance and trees that fell were removed then and there. Water-logging was, however, seen in several places, and the Greater Chennai Corporation said it has been pumping out water into storm water drains.
The number of road users decreased sharply in city and suburbs with continuing rains and thunderstorms. Moderate to heavy, widespread rains lashed Chennai, Tiruvallur and other parts of the state.
Chennai Corporation announced a helpline number 1913. A holiday has been declared for schools and colleges and the government requested people to check the TN Alert App for weather updates.
Some people, who own cars in flood-prone Ram Nagar in Madipakkam, parked their vehicles on the nearby Velachery flyover, a key part of busy south Chennai, and some, reportedly, moved away from their homes to hotels.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected several localities, including the Narayanapuram lake near Velachery and authorities said the surplus rain from the lake water drains into channels due to advance desilting work.
He inspected the integrated command and control centre of Chennai Corporation, functioning from its headquarters, the Ripon Building, to review ongoing work to tackle the situation arising out of the rains.
The IMD said a well marked low pressure area formed by Tuesday morning over the central part of south Bay of Bengal.
In a post on 'X', the department said it is likely to intensify into a depression and continue to move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the next 2 days.
Since Monday night, Chennai and its suburbs have been experiencing intermittent rains.
Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday reviewed the preparations taken by authorities to tackle the situation that may arise in view of the heavy rain predicted by the met office.
The chief minister directed that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force be deployed in advance in the areas prone to be affected.
Amid the heavy rainfall that lashed parts of Tamil Nadu, eight flights scheduled to operate to and from Chennai from Bengaluru, Andaman, New Delhi and Muscat have been cancelled, as per an official statement.
"Due to heavy rains in Chennai, eight flights scheduled to operate between Bengaluru, Andaman, Delhi, and Muscat have been cancelled at Chennai airport today," it said.
The cancelled flights include an Akasa Air flight from Bengaluru to Chennai scheduled at 7:05 am, an Akasa Air flight from Andaman to Chennai scheduled at 1 pm, IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai scheduled at 3:20 pm and an Oman Air flight from Muscat to Chennai scheduled for early morning.
"Similarly, four departing flights from Chennai have been cancelled: an Akasa Air flight to Andaman scheduled at 7:45 am an Akasa Air flight to Bengaluru scheduled at 1:40 pm, an Oman Air flight to Muscat scheduled at 8:40 am and an IndiGo flight to Delhi scheduled for the evening," as per the official statement.
All other flights are operating as usual. However, since there is a possibility of further changes in flight timings, Chennai Airport has advised all passengers to contact their airlines, confirm departure times, and adjust their travel plans accordingly, the statement said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also instructed the authorities to issue an advisory to allow employees of IT companies in the rain-affected districts to work from home from October 15 to 18, according to an official release.