Heavy Rainfall Hits Chennai, Causes Delays

Chennai: The city and its suburbs have nearly reached the monthly average rainfall of 6 cm as short, intense rain spells inundated many areas for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, leading to water stagnation and flight delays. The Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam observatories recorded a combined total of 5 cm and 8 cm of rainfall over Tuesday and Wednesday due to convective activity. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate intensity rainfall for the next two days, although bloggers suggest a possible reduction in the intensity.

Wednesday’s cloudy weather resulted in severe thunderstorms and gusty winds in the afternoon. By 5:30 pm, the Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam observatories had recorded 34.2 mm and 59.2 mm of rainfall respectively. Temperatures dropped to 36.3°C and 37.4°C, slightly below normal by 1.2°C and 0.6°C. Meteorologists attribute the widespread rainfall to convection triggered by southwesterly winds and seabreeze, further intensified by a cyclonic circulation off the south coastal Andhra Pradesh-north Tamil Nadu coast over the Bay of Bengal at 3.1-4.5 km above mean sea level.

“The city experienced moderate intensity rain spells, while neighbouring districts such as Chengalpet and Kancheepuram experienced heavier downpours. There is a likelihood of light to moderate rainfall over the next two days, with temperatures remaining around 36-37°C,” stated an official from the regional weather forecasting centre, IMD. The rainfall caused significant water stagnation in several central city localities, including T Nagar, Choolaimedu, and Anna Nagar, as well as suburban areas such as Pallavaram and Tambaram.

Severe weather also disrupted air travel. A flight from Abu Dhabi was diverted to Bengaluru due to strong winds and heavy rain at Chennai airport. Several flights experienced delays between 3 pm and 4:30 pm, although the adverse weather did not significantly impact overall landing and takeoff operations. Flights from Thiruvananthapuram, Port Blair, Coimbatore, and Pune faced delays, which in turn affected departure schedules. Approximately six departures were delayed by nearly an hour, while flights to Colombo and Hyderabad were cancelled. Passengers arriving from Delhi in an evening flight faced additional inconveniences, having to wait close to half an hour for their luggage. As Chennai navigates through this period of intense weather, residents and travellers are advised to remain vigilant and plan accordingly for potential disruptions.