Life in Chennai ground to a halt on Tuesday as heavy rainfall and gusty winds battered the city in the run-up to Cyclone Montha’s impending landfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the city and some neighboring districts, warning people of impending flooding and thunderstorms.
Based on the recent IMD update, Cyclone Montha was around 350 kilometers east-northeast of Chennai early on Tuesday. The cyclone is moving north-northwest and is likely to strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday morning. It’s expected to land on the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada between evening Tuesday and midnight, with winds of 90–100 kilometers per hour.
Regional Meteorological Centre Director Dr B Amudha said the western part of the storm is already causing heavy rains in Tamil Nadu’s coastal districts. Fishermen are advised not to go to sea along Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra coasts till October 29 and return to the coast as soon as possible if already at sea.
Rain is likely to persist over northern coastal Tamil Nadu for a few hours more, particularly over the districts of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet that are under orange alert. Districts such as Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Villuppuram, and Puducherry are on yellow alert for moderate rain and thunder.
The heavy rain has caused power outages in some low-lying areas of Chennai like Velachery, Adyar, and Pallikaranai. TANGEDCO officials stated electricity supply could be briefly shut off in low-lying regions to avoid accidents. People are advised to charge devices, have essentials at hand, and remain indoors during heavy rain periods.
Traffic in various areas such as OMR, GST Road, and Guindy has come to a standstill as waterlogging persists. Subways such as Madley and Duraisamy are being monitored for flooding and could temporarily close down. Passengers are being requested to steer clear of waterlogged roads and access live traffic updates prior to traveling.
As a precautionary measure, schools in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts were closed for the day. District officials have also put emergency rescue teams on standby to deal with any rain-related problems.
With Cyclone Montha approaching the coast of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu also continues to be on red alert. The IMD and local authorities are providing regular updates suggesting that the next 12 to 18 hours will be critical for coastal areas. People are advised to adhere to official warning, stay indoors, and remain vigilant till the storm has passed.
