Schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal will remain closed tomorrow, October 22 due to warnings of heavy rains in the region.
The RMC has issued an orange alert for seven coastal and delta areas, including Ramanathapuram, Cuddalore and Thanjavur and Puducherry, till 8.30 am on Wednesday.
“A low pressure area has formed over southwest Bay of Bengal and is expected to intensify into a depression tomorrow afternoon and move towards the coast of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh. The system is unlikely to have a direct impact on Odisha, but rainfall is likely to occur over the state in the next seven days. Light to moderate 04 kmph) rain with thunder and lightning is expected at isolated places in many districts,” IMD Director Bhubaneswar Manorama Mohanty told ANI.
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And Namassivayam, Puducherry education minister said in this regard, “Due to heavy rains lashing the union territory, all schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal districts will remain closed on Wednesday.”
Puducherry Fisheries and Fishermen’s Welfare Minister K. Lakshminarayanan called a meeting with officials from Public Works, Revenue and Local Government Departments to prepare the entire state machinery for quick response to any emergency.
What the weather department said
B Amudha, Director, Regional Meteorological Center (RMC), Chennai, said a low pressure area has formed in the Bay of Bengal, about 400 km off the coast of Chennai.
“There is a possibility of the system intensifying into a depression by noon tomorrow. It is expected to occur off the coast of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh,” Amudha said, according to PTI.
On October 22, extremely heavy rain is expected in four districts of Tamil Nadu – Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore and Mayiladuthurai – along with Karaikal and Puducherry.
Read also | Red alert issued in 8 districts of Tamil Nadu amid heavy rains – check IMD forecast
It also warned farmers not to venture into the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and South Andaman Sea from October 23 to 26.
Amudha said Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal recorded 59 percent more rainfall than normal between October 1 and October 21.
The Tamil Nadu government is stepping up
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, in a video conference, asked district collectors to have emergency arrangements ready.
According to an official statement, Stalin wants provisions for food, drinking water and medicine to be prepared.
He also advised that JCB machines, boats, motor pumps, trucks and saws should be ready to mitigate any rain damage.
