Weather update: Chennai MeT predicts moderate rainfall, thunderstorms in 10 districts of Tamil Nadu

The Chennai Meteorological Centre forecast moderate rainfall, light thunderstorms and lightning in ten districts of Tamil Nadu for Tuesday morning."Light thunderstorm and lightning with moderate rain are very likely over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also very likely over isolated places in Tirupattur, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu," the Regional Centre stated in a release.

Cyclone Michaung, which lay centred over the west coast of the Bay of Bengal, off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts, is likely to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday morning in the form of a severe cyclonic storm, the weather department informed.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin made inquiries on Monday on the damage wrought by the heavy showers amid the approaching cyclone while also taking stock of the ongoing relief and rescue operations and the state's preparedness to deal with the immediate aftermath of the storm.

The CM also inquired about the food and other facilities provided to civilians sheltered in relief camps during a phone call to state ministers Sekar Babu, KN Nehru, and EV Velu and DMK MLAs Dr Ezhilan, Karunanidhi, E Parandaman and S Arvind Ramesh.

The progress of the cyclone is being tracked closely and its potential impact assessed, police said on Monday, adding that the approaching storm has already claimed five lives and injured one in separate incidents across Chennai. Several trees lay uprooted as strong winds swept the state and the daily lives of locals were impacted as they had to grapple with extensive waterlogging and allied woes in the southern state.

The IMD earlier warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday in north-coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, with extremely heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, is expected on December 4 and 5, the agency informed earlier. Public life was severely affected in Chennai as heavy rains lashed several parts of the city. 

Several areas, including Wallajah Road, Mount Road, Anna Salai, Chepauk, outside Omandurar government multispecialty hospital and other low-lying areas, were inundated due to persistent heavy rainfall. Chennai's popular Marina Beach was flooded in the wake of the downpours, while roads linking Mount Road to Marina Beach were blocked due to severe waterlogging.

The state government advised people to take precautionary measures as the IMD issued a red alert for the state, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and neighbouring areas. Amid the approaching cyclonic storm Michaung, the Tamil Nadu government declared a public holiday in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts on Tuesday.