Sharp showers shock, choke city; 3 electrocuted
It was almost as if the heavens had opened up on Thursday afternoon as Chennai witnessed extremely heavy downpour that caught everyone unawares. Traffic was stalled for hours and flooding reported from 145 localities. Three people were electrocuted- a 40-year-old woman of Pulianthope, when she stepped on stagnant water outside her house, while another 70-year-old woman died of electrocution in a similar manner in Otteri. A 13-year-old boy too died of electrocution in his inundated house in Mylapore.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), MRC Nagar received more than 21.4 cm of rainfall and Nungambakkam received 17.6 cm of rain until 10.30 pm. YMCA Nandanam received 18.15 cm of rainfall and Meenambakkam received 14.3 cm of rainfall.
Poonamalee High Road, Mount Road, parts of GST Road and several other roads remained inundated stalling evening commute and motorists were stuck for several hours on the flooded roads.
The city traffic police reported closure of Gengu Reddy subway in Egmore, Madley subway in T Nagar, Aranganathan subway in Saidapet and RBI subway at Parry’s Corner due to waterlogging. Slow moving traffic was reported on Raja Mannar Salai at KK Nagar, Dr Sivasamy Salai in Mylapore, Poonamallee High Road in Vepery, Jawahar Nagar at Sembium, 100 Ft Road near
MMDA and Lake View Road in Nungambakkam. Visuals of several other flooded roads were shared by people on social media.
As per the Greater Chennai Corporation, waterlogging was reported in 145 locations across the city until Thursday night. More than 300 pumps were deployed to clear waterlogged areas. Reports said 27 trees had fallen around the city. B Geetha, scientist at Cyclone Warning Research Centre at Regional Meteorological
Centre said that easterly winds over the Bay of Bengal converging along the coast led to the downpour in the city and also other coastal districts. The easterly winds are expected to bring in more rainfall in the next 48 hours before they weaken. The RMC stated that convective cells present over Chennai, Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram are likely to cause significant heavy rainfall.
According to weather blogger
Pradeep John, Chennai’s rainfall recorded in 2021 has surpassed 2015 and is the third wettest year of all time with 21.74 cm rainfall until 5.30 pm on Thursday, after 2005 and 1996.
The Water Resources Department increased the water outflow from three major reservoirs in the city, discharging 1,000 cusecs from Chembarambakkam reservoir and 750 cusecs of water from Puzhal, with both reservoirs having an inflow of 2,000 cusecs.