After heavy rain overnight in Chennai, trains delayed; schools, colleges shut

mangaloretoday.com

Chennai, Nov 13:  Trains were delayed and schools and colleges were closed on Friday as heavy rain lashed Chennai for the fifth straight day, bringing the city to a virtual standstill.

Many roads are flooded with the city receiving 14.9 cm of rainfall since last night. Occasional heavy rain is predicted through the day. The MeT department has forecast another spell of heavy showers next week following the formation of a new trough of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

 

 

Heavy rain through the night has submerged rail tracks, resulting in delays in arrival and departure of trains at the Chennai Central Station. Only five out of nine trains that were scheduled to leave the station were able to depart to their destinations, affecting thousands of passengers.

Schools and colleges are shut in the city following the Met department’s forecast. This is the third time that a holiday has been declared for educational institutions in the city since November 9, when a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal crossed near the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, resulting in heavy rain and consequent flood in many parts of the state. Cuddalore district, 180 kms from Chennai, was the worst hit.

Office-goers had a harrowing time this morning as they were faced with knee-deep water in many areas. Hassled residents posted pictures of waterlogged roads on Twitter, making #chennaiRains a top trend this morning on the micro-blogging site.