Heavy Rains Disrupt Life in Chennai as Cyclone Murasu Approaches Andhra Coast

Chennai, November 2 (Daily Kiran) : Heavy rainfall in Chennai on Monday morning has significantly disrupted daily life. Streets were flooded as municipal teams remained on high alert due to Cyclone ‘Murasu’ intensifying over the Bay of Bengal and moving toward the Andhra Pradesh coast.

The northern regions of the city recorded the heaviest rainfall, with 149.2 mm measured in Periyar over a 24-hour period ending at 6 AM. Other notable figures included 141.6 mm in New Manali Town and 136.2 mm in Manali, according to the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Integrated Command and Control Center.

The rainfall report indicated that five monitoring stations experienced very heavy rain, while 28 others recorded significant precipitation. Areas such as Madhavaram, Puzhal, Manali, Ennore, Basin Bridge, and parts of Tondiarpet reflected the widespread impact of the ongoing rainfall in northern Chennai. Moderate rain was also reported in 25 locations, including Korattur, Ayapakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Pallikaranai, and Sholinganallur.

Data showed that while southern and western areas also received rain, the most significant amounts fell in the northern parts of the city. G.S. Sameeran, the Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation, inspected flooding on Besant Road in Triplicane and reviewed the municipality’s response efforts.

He also visited the Integrated Command and Control Center at Ripon Building to assess relief operations and monitoring activities. Senior municipal officials and field teams remained on alert to pump water from flooded streets and maintain essential services in affected areas. The control center was continuously monitoring the situation, while municipal workers tackled rain-related issues throughout the city.

The cyclone system intensified further on Monday morning, causing high waves along Chennai’s beaches and worsening conditions in coastal areas. According to a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department issued at 5 AM, ‘Murasu’ has transformed into a severe cyclonic storm. As of 2:30 AM, its center was located approximately 260 km northeast of Chennai and about 290 km southeast of Nellore.

The meteorological department predicts that the storm is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur around midnight on November 2 into the morning of November 3.