Chennai reels under prolonged rains as Cyclone Ditwah stalls over Tamil Nadu coast

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, issued an orange alert for several northern districts – including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Ranipet and Kancheepuram – warning of very heavy rainfall through Wednesday. The Nilgiris and Ghat sections of Coimbatore may receive up to 20.4 cm, while 18 other districts – including Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai and Virudhunagar – remain on yellow alert for heavy rain.

Rainfall remained intense and uneven across Chennai. Ennore recorded 13.5 cm overnight, followed by Wimco Nagar at 11.8 cm. In South Chennai, Medavakkam logged 10.5 cm and Pallikaranai nearly 9 cm. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Ennore and Hindustan University reported 15 cm each, among the highest in the state. The citywide average stood at 6.17 cm over the past 24 hours.

The persistent rain has prompted precautionary releases from key reservoirs. The Water Resources Department opened shutters at Poondi and Chembarambakkam to release 200 cusecs, while discharge at Red Hills reservoir was increased to 500 cusecs to create buffer storage ahead of anticipated inflows.

Low-lying neighbourhoods in Chennai reported waterlogging and traffic disruptions.

Meteorologists say Ditwah’s stall, rather than its intensity, is what has made it impactful. The depression is likely to stay for the next 36 hours near Chennai itself, according to independent weather forecaster Pradeep John, noting that the system appeared unable to move decisively west or east. The RMC expects the system to weaken further into a low-pressure area by Thursday as it moves southwest inland.

Despite tapering warnings, intermittent rainfall is expected to continue across Chennai, Tiruvallur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and southern coastal districts, including Ramanathapuram and Kanniyakumari, through Wednesday night.

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