A cloud burst over Chennai’s Manali neighborhood unleashed torrential rainfall overnight, transforming streets into rivers and disrupting air travel across the city. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reported that North Chennai, particularly Manali, New Manali Town, and Wimco Nagar, bore the brunt of the deluge, recording staggering rainfall of 27 cm, 26 cm, and 23 cm, respectively, in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 AM on Sunday.

The RMC bulletin detailed an intense spell of rain between 10 PM and midnight on Saturday, with Manali registering 106.2 mm from 10-11 PM and 126.6 mm from 11 PM to midnight, qualifying as a cloud burst. The extreme weather led to significant disruptions, with several flights scheduled to land at Chennai International Airport diverted to Bengaluru. Affected flights included those from Bengaluru, Delhi, France, and Mangaluru, according to airport authorities. “Once the weather cleared in Chennai, passengers were promptly flown back from Bengaluru on alternative flights,” an airport official confirmed.

The heavy rainfall is part of a broader pattern of intense monsoon activity in Tamil Nadu. Just a week earlier, on August 23, Chennai and neighboring districts like Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvannamalai experienced moderate to heavy overnight rains. The RMC noted that the cloud burst was accompanied by strong winds gusting up to 40-50 kmph, adding to the chaos in affected areas.

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Looking ahead, the RMC forecasts light to moderate rain at isolated places across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal over the next 24 hours, with strong winds likely to persist. Authorities are on high alert, monitoring flood-prone areas and advising residents to stay cautious. As Chennai recovers from this extreme weather event, the city braces for potential further rainfall, underscoring the increasing unpredictability of monsoon patterns.

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