Chennai

Coastal Tamil Nadu and certain interior parts in the state experienced widespread rain on Wednesday as the depression weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area.

Nine persons were rescued from their marooned houses in Red Hills a suburb of Chennai by boats by the Fire and Rescue Services department personnel and lodged in relief camps.

Anticipating heavy rain, the administration announced a holiday for schools and colleges in several districts for today.

Rain pounded Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram districts triggering sudden inundation in residential areas and arterial roads.

Wednesday turned out to be third consecutive wet day this week, though parts of the state have been witnessing rainfall activity since last week, disrupting the livelihood of small traders and hindering the free movement of residents.

“The depression (remnant of cyclonic storm Ditwah) over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts moved slowly southwestwards and weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area over north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and neighbourhood,” the IMD said.

It was very likely to continue to move southwestwards slowly across north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and weaken further into a low-pressure area during the next 24 hours, the weather office said in its bulletin associated with this system.

Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai too experienced heavy frequent spells with brief intervals, as the depression moved inland.

Braving the adverse weather conditions, priests at the Arunachaleshwar temple in Tiruvannamalai commenced the activities related to the annual Karthigai Deepam festival in the hill shrine and lit the first flame, the Bharani Deepam, early today.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Minister P K Sekar Babu, officials, and hundreds of devotees had gathered to witness the event.

Ramanathapuram continued to reel under massive inundation while the residents of Nungambakkam, Perambur, Vyasarpadi and Kilpauk in Chennai had to wade through knee-deep water.

An official of the Greater Chennai Corporation said the civic body has been bailing out water and restoring normalcy in traffic. “We are striving to ensure that the subways don’t get inundated so as to cause hardship to the people,” he said.

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Free food was being provided at over 200 relief camps where families displaced by the inundation have been temporarily lodged, he added.