Tamil Nadu: All schools to remain closed due to heavy rain in Chennai

Tamil Nadu rains

All schools in Chennai will be closed on Wednesday due to a heavy rain warning, according to an announcement made by Chennai District Collector Rashmi Siddharth Jagade.

District collectors in Cuddalore, Villupuram, and Ranipet have also announced holidays for their districts' schools and colleges, in addition to Chennai. Only schools in Thoothukudi will be closed, according to the announcement made on Tuesday.

The administrations of Puducherry and Karaikal have announced that schools and colleges will be closed tomorrow due to the prediction of continuous heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, Chennai's iconic Marina Beach is experiencing intense sea turbulence, with rough waves and strong winds battering the coast amid ongoing Northeast monsoon activity. According to officials, the rough sea conditions are expected to persist for the next couple of days.

Authorities have urged fishermen and coastal residents to remain vigilant and follow official safety advisories.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed measures to tackle heavy rains with officials, as the regional weather office has issued intense downpour alerts for several coastal districts. Several districts in the state, including Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, and the Delta districts, are experiencing heavy rainfall.

"I have instructed that immediate action be taken on complaints received from the public and that rice procurement operations be carried out without any lapses, and I have inquired about the precautionary measures that have been taken. People's representatives and the entire government machinery will work tirelessly in the field, and we will protect the people!" said Stalin.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has issued orange and yellow alerts for various parts of the State for the next four days, as weather systems over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea continue to feed moisture into the region.