Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu on Red Alert; Cyclone Likely to Form

According to RMC Director B. Amudha, a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal has strengthened into a well-marked low-pressure system, currently located around 400 km off the Chennai coast. “By tomorrow noon, the system is likely to intensify into a Depression off the coasts of north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh,” she said. “The possibility of it developing into a cyclone can only be confirmed once the depression forms,” she added.

In anticipation of the worsening weather, the Tamil Nadu government has declared school and college holidays across multiple districts. In Chennai, all schools will remain closed on Wednesday amid heavy rainfall. Similar orders have been issued for Cuddalore, Villupuram, Ranipet, Chengalpattu, and Trichy, where both schools and colleges will remain shut. In Thoothukudi, only schools will be closed, while Salem and Pudukottai districts have declared holidays for schools as well.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari, and a red alert for Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram.

Extremely heavy rainfall is expected in Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikal, and Puducherry, while an orange alert will continue for Chennai on October 22

Severe waterlogging has already been reported in parts of Pudukottai following continuous downpours.