School holidays in Chennai, Oct 21: Schools closed in four Tamil Nadu districts as heavy rains forecast | Check the IMD warning | Today’s news
Schools in four districts of Tamil Nadu were closed on Wednesday (October 21) as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rainfall in the region, local media reported.
A holiday was declared for schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram districts on Wednesday, according to Dinakaran.
According to messagethe district collectors announced school holidays due to continuous rainfall in the region. The Chennai District Collector has reportedly announced that all schools in Chennai will be given a one-day holiday as a precautionary measure amid the IMD warning.
Similarly, schools in Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram districts were also declared closed on Wednesday due to incessant rains.
IMD warning
On Tuesday, the IMD issued a yellow-orange alert and predicted heavy rainfall in parts of Tamil Nadu and other states “due to likely formation of a low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Tamil Nadu coast during the next 24 hours”.
According to the latest bulletin of the Regional Meteorological Center at 1:40 pm on Tuesday, the cyclonic upper air circulation that was lying over the southwest Bay of Bengal off the north coast of Tamil Nadu is likely to intensify into a low pressure area over the same area during the next 24 hours.
The IMD predicted: “…heavy to very heavy rainfall likely to continue over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal till 26 October; isolated heavy rainfall likely over Lakshadweep during 22-26 October; Kerala and Mahe during 20-26 October; South Interior Karnataka during 21-24 October 21, 2026.”
The IMD has issued an orange alert in Ramanathapuram, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurau, Villupuramm Chengalpattu, Chennai and Thiruvallur.
A yellow alert has been issued in the remaining districts of Tamil Nadu, including Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi and Dindigul. Heavy rain is also likely at Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Sivagangai, Tenkasi and Tirunelveli.
However, rainfall occurred at many places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal region during the last 24 hours starting Monday.
Amaravathi Pudur in Sivagangai district received the highest rainfall of 9.2 cm during the same period, followed by Tiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram which received 8 cm of rain.
Official sources told PTI that Chennai, which was lashed by heavy downpour on Saturday night and some areas like Parrys recorded more than 30 cm of rainfall, witnessed only very light rains since Sunday.
