Heavy Rain Disrupts Tamil Nadu, Pilgrims Brave Downpour

Heavy rain across parts of Tamil Nadu has forced schools to close in several districts and disrupted daily life. The downpour, fuelled by a strengthening northeast monsoon, has also caused damage and inconvenience in multiple towns.

Schools in Coimbatore, Dindigul and Ramanathapuram have been declared closed for Monday. In the Nilgiris, closures are limited to four taluks, while schools elsewhere in the district remain open. Theni's Periyakulam taluk has also been shut, as the district is under a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall. Puducherry and Karaikal schools and colleges have been given a holiday, while five institutions in Kallakurichi district's Chinnasalem block will remain closed.

The Chengalpattu collector has confirmed that schools and colleges across that district will operate normally.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms with heavy to very heavy rain in Pudukkottai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram. Heavy rain is also likely in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, while other areas may see moderate rain with strong winds.

Heavy showers have already lashed Alinagaram, Annanji, Vadapudupatti and Aranmanai Pudur near Theni. In Kanyakumari district, intense rain made driving difficult for motorists across several areas.

In Tiruvannamalai, devotees performing the Girivalam, a circumambulation of the sacred hill, on the occasion of the Aippasi full moon continued their walk through overnight rain, using umbrellas and raincoats. In Palani, rainfall intensified at night, and collapsing walls damaged houses along the Palani-Old Dharapuram Road.