November rains submerge Chennai

But since the system has started moving in a northerly direction away from Tamil Nadu coast, the weather is expected to become normal in the coming days.

The city, which usually bears the brunt of the Northeast Monsoon in November, has had a bad year so far.

Water gushed through Adyar as the swollen river presented a rare sight for residents of Chennai do not generally witness it in such spate.

Reports received from districts said life was hit due to heavy rains in northern and coastal districts.

Schools and colleges in eleven districts, including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Trichy and Perambalur districts, will remain closed on Monday. The reservoirs around Chennai have recorded the maximum level of rainfall ranging from 30 to 37 cm for the past 24 hours. The state government has evacuated people living in low lying areas.

Nearly the entire city, which received 25 cms of rains during the last 24 hours ending at 0830 this morning, was floating in rain waters, with nearly all the subways inundated.

Incessant rains continued in Nagapattinam district for the third consecutive day on Monday throwing normal life out of gear.

But today, it was a different picture as office-goers were put to great hardship. Local administration is using boats in flooded areas to rescue stranded people.

Civic officials were working overtime to pump out the stagnated waters and state ministers joined in overseeing the relief works. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast torrential rains for next three days in neighboring Andhra Pradesh state and union territory of Puducherry. However, there were no casualties, they said, adding the loss is yet to be estimated.