Heavy rains continue to pound TN, deep depression to weaken

Chennai: Heavy rains continued in Tamil Nadu on Friday leading to inundation of crops and waterlogging in many rural and urban areas while the deep depression over the Gulf of Mannar near Ramanathapuram is likely to weaken into a depression today.

The India Meteorological Department tweeted saying the deep depression over Gulf of Mannar, near Ramanathapuram district's coast remained stationary, about 40 km southwest of Ramanathapuram.

It would remain stationary over the same region and weaken into a depression during the next 12 hours and then into a well-marked low pressure area, it said.

While there was widespread rainfall covering many parts of the state, several regions reported heavy to extremely heavy showers including Kollidam (36 cm, Nagapattinam district), Chidambaram (34 cm, Cuddalore) and over two dozen areas received between 10 and 28 cm rain.

Crops including paddy and sugarcane were inundated in districts including Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Ariyalur falling under the Cauvery delta zone and complete submergence of agricultural fields was also seen as showers continued for the third successive day.

Ramanathapuram and Tirukovilur (Kallakurichi district) in southern and northern Tamil Nadu respectively were among the regions that received 7 cm rainfall.

While Chennai received moderate rains, Madurantakam near here recorded 10 cm, and rainfall was reported from several other regions including Yercaud in Salem, Sivaganga, Namakkal, Tuticorin, Ranipet and Karur districts as well.

Low-lying residential areas in parts of Madipakkam, Velachery, Pallikaranai and Kovilambakkam here and several other urban and rural areas in districts including Cuddalore saw water entering the neighbourhoods and as a precautionary measure, electricity supply was halted in several districts.

In view of the heavy showers, the ancient Sri Nataraja temple at Chidambaram witnessed flooding of its inner corridors and photographs showing the inundation surfaced on the social media.

The government had already declared Friday a holiday for Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, and Ramanathapuram districts in view of the weather system.

On December 3, cyclone 'Burevi' weakened into a deep depression.

Meanwhile, in a relief to Kerala,the Met department has withdrawn the red alert issued for cyclone Burevi and rains in the seven southernmost districts of the state as thedeep depression was likely to weaken further into a

depression.

The India MeteorologicalDepartment (IMD) had in a late night bulletin issued on Thursday withdrawn the red alert and issued a yellow alert for 10 districts of the

state.

In a bulletin released on Friday morning, the IMD said the deep depression is likely to move slowly west- southwestwards and cross Ramanathapuram and adjoining Thoothukudi districts in Tamil Nadu during the next six hours with wind speed of 50-60 gusting to 70 kmph.

"It is very likely to weaken further into a depression (wind speed 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph) during next 12 hours," IMD said.

It has issued yellow alerts for the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and

Malappuram.

Meanwhile, the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has rescheduled nine flights scheduled for Friday.