TN: Forecast For Heavy Rain, Rough Sea Conditions Five Districts Declare Holiday For Schools Today

(MENAFN- IANS) Chennai, Oct 22 (IANS) Schools in five Tamil Nadu districts were closed on Thursday as persistent heavy rain affected southern parts of the state, while a low-pressure system over the southwest Bay of Bengal raised the prospect of further widespread rainfall.

The District Collectors of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi declared holidays for schools following continued downpours.

Tirupattur District Collector Nallasivan also ordered the closure of schools in his district because of heavy rain. The holiday announcements apply only to schools. The information provided did not mention any corresponding closure of colleges or other higher educational institutions in the five districts.

According to the meteorological department, a low-pressure area has formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal near Sri Lanka, off the Tamil Nadu coast. The system is likely to move west-northwestwards, bringing widespread rain to coastal Tamil Nadu and the Cauvery delta districts.

The weather department has warned of the possibility of very heavy rainfall in 17 districts on Thursday, placing southern Tamil Nadu and several western and delta districts under heightened weather watch.

The districts covered by the warning are Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Theni, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai. Southern districts have already been receiving sustained heavy rainfall. Against this backdrop, the respective district administrations announced school holidays as the wet weather continued, affecting the normal academic schedule across the affected areas.

The developing weather system is also expected to influence conditions along the coast. The meteorological centre cautioned that the sea could turn rough because of the low-pressure area and advised fishermen to exercise caution.

The warning assumes significance for fishing communities along the Tamil Nadu coast, with the system positioned over waters close to Sri Lanka and expected to move towards the west-northwest.

Coastal and delta districts are expected to receive widespread rainfall under its influence, while the district-level warning indicates that intense spells could also extend into the interior and western parts of Tamil Nadu.

The immediate impact on education was reflected in the school closures announced in four southern districts and Tirupattur. The announcements came amid continuing rain, with Thursday's forecast pointing to the possibility of further intense spells across the 17 listed districts. The department's advisory also highlighted rough-sea conditions as a separate concern for fishermen operating along the coast.

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