Tamil Nadu weather: Schools shut in Chennai, IMD puts 17 districts in state on heavy rainfall alert

Chennai rainfall: Schools are shut today as relentless rains hammer the city, with forecasts warning of more to come. 

Weather officials have issued alerts across Tamil Nadu, with the heaviest downpours expected through November 15. A looming low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal threatens to intensify the rains, bringing up to 12 cm of rainfall to Chennai and nearby districts like Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur.

The India Meteorological Department’s warnings span across coastal regions and deep into Tamil Nadu’s interior. A yellow alert is in place, with heavy rains spreading through the week across 17 districts by mid-November. 

For the next two days, the IMD predicts thunderstorms, scattered heavy rain, and cloudy skies for Chennai, where temperatures are expected to hover between 25°C and 33°C.

Since October, Chennai has already seen a rainfall surplus, tallying 43 cm—1% above normal levels. But the intensity expected over the coming days could bring fresh challenges to a city already soaked. Coastal areas, including Puducherry, Karaikal, and stretches from Tiruvallur to Ramanathapuram, are bracing for downpours between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm, with winds gusting up to 55 kmph.

Meanwhile, pollution continues to smother northern cities like Delhi and Chandigarh, where the air quality index has sunk to “very poor,” a grim byproduct of lower temperatures and ongoing stubble burning across the region.