Chennai experienced heavy rainfall overnight on Sunday, resulting in waterlogging and traffic congestion on Monday morning. As a result, schools in six districts, including Ranipet, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpet, and Vellore, were closed for a day or two due to the heavy rains.
In the capital city of Delhi, there was light rainfall on Monday, bringing some relief from the intense heat and rising temperatures. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted mostly cloudy skies with the possibility of very light rain and drizzle in Delhi on June 19.
The impact of Cyclone Biparjoy on the monsoon was significant. While it brought torrential rains to India’s western coast, it affected the East in a different manner. The cyclone’s northeast movement resulted in a change in wind patterns, leading to uncomfortably high temperatures in Tamil Nadu, despite the southwest monsoon supposedly covering the state.
Chennai, in particular, was already experiencing one of its hottest-ever Junes, but the heavy downpour on Sunday night significantly lowered the city’s temperature. The Meenambakkam observatory recorded 137.6 mm of rainfall between Sunday morning and Monday morning, while Nungambakkam saw 67.4 mm of precipitation during the same period.
The heavy rains also caused chaos in low-lying areas such as Velachery, Guindy, Vepery, GST Road, and KK Nagar. The underpass of Kathipara junction was flooded, causing disruption to traffic flow. Additionally, 10 flights scheduled to land in Chennai were diverted to Bengaluru airport, and 17 international flights faced delays due to the inclement weather.
More heavy rains are predicted for Chennai and neighboring districts on Monday, including Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur, and Perambalur.
The southwest monsoon has further advanced into parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Central & Northwest Bay of Bengal, Gangetic West Bengal & Jharkhand, Bihar, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, according to the IMD.
In East India, incessant rainfall caused the water level of the Brahmaputra river in Assam to rise. The flood situation in Assam’s Lakhimpur remains critical, and several districts have been affected by the initial spell of flooding. The state government is prepared to handle the situation and has coordinated with agencies such as the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and NDRF.
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