Rain stops in Chennai, several trains cancelled in Tamil Nadu, red alert in Andhra

After a break in the rain, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the resumption of relief work in several parts of the state including Chennai.

In Short

• Heavy rains expected in south Andhra, northeast Tamil Nadu in next 24-36 hours
• NDRF, state teams deployed; 1,000 medical camps set up in Tamil Nadu
• Schools closed in Chennai, Bengaluru due to rain alert

Relief work started in several parts of northern Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, as rain stopped on Wednesday, bringing much-needed respite to the people.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the resumption of the relief work after the break in the rainfall.

In a post on X, he said that relief work is in full swing in areas affected by heavy rains on Tuesday.

Stalin also announced that on October 16 and 17, food would be provided free of cost in Amma canteens in Chennai to support poor and ordinary people.

Stalin in a post on 'X' said that relief work is on in full swing in areas affected by heavy rains on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure area that formed over the southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday evening and is expected to make landfall between Andhra Pradesh's Nellore and north Puducherry on Thursday, October 17, bringing heavy rainfall.

This meteorological system is advancing northwestwards at approximately 10 kmph, and the anticipated landfall is likely to bring significant weather changes to the region, the IMD said in a press statement.

According to a Met official, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in a few places in southern Andhra Pradesh and northeast Tamil Nadu in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Southern Karnataka is also expected to receive a fresh spell of rainfall in the same period, the wether body said.

Schools and colleges remained shut in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet districts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, October 16, in view of the rain alert that was issued by the Met department on Tuesday, October 15.

The Tamil Nadu government also urged private officers to allow their employees to work from home due to the rain forecast.

In Tamil Nadu, 1,000 monsoon medical camps have also been set up, which includes 100 such facilities in Chennai. As many as 13,000 volunteers have come forward to assist authorities with rain-related tasks. In total, 65,000 volunteers are on standby in the state.

According to Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, disaster response force teams of the state and Centre are on standby in 26 locations in Chennai and districts nearby.

In addition, 219 boats are ready for use for rain-related tasks in Chennai and other parts of the state.

Similarly, in Bengaluru, officials announced that schools will also be shut on October 16 due to the orange alert issued in the city. Bengaluru Metro services were also briefly disrupted on the purple line due to "tree obstruction." However, the maintenance team cleared it.

The South Central Railway (SCR) also cancelled ten trains between Bengaluru and Chennai in view of the rain. Trains that were scheduled to depart from Bengaluru and arrive in Bengaluru on Wednesday were cancelled.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar advised people to take necessary precautions following incessant rains in the city, as he declared the government's preparedness to deal with the situation.

Shivakumar said the government has the "strength" to manage the situation and "set right" the issues that have cropped up due to the rains.

"I appeal to citizens to take necessary precautions in the wake of the rains. There might be some traffic issues today," Shivakumar, who is also the Minister in-charge of Bengaluru Development, Shivakumar said.

Teams of NDRF and State Disaster Response have also been deployed in Chennai and Bengaluru following the heavy rain forecast.