As heavy rain lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu and the India Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain alert for the next seven days, the district administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Kanyakumari on December 18.
The southern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari and Ramanathapuram, have been witnessing heavy rains since the early morning hours of Sunday.
After the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from Kanyakumari to Srinagar, the Congress is gearing up for the 'UP Jodo Yatra' which is all set to kick off on December 20.
"Light thunderstorm and lightning with moderate rain are very likely over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also very likely over isolated places in Tirupattur, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil
"Moderate thunderstorms and lightning with moderate rain are very likely at isolated places over Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur, Ramanathapuram, Thiruppur, Dindigul, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Thirunelveli Kanyakumari and Karaikal districts of Tamil Nadu," Chennai Meteo
Due to continuous heavy rain in Tamil Nadu, the District Collectors have declared holidays for all government and private schools in eight districts including Tenkasi, Viruthunagar, Pudhukottai, Nilgiri, Theni, Thirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi on Thursday.
With the onset of northeast monsoon, a heavy downpour is witnessed across several districts in Tamil Nadu. The Indian Meteorological Department issued an 'orange alert' in several districts due to the heavy rains battering the state.
Schools have been shut in nine districts namely, Chennai,
While the rainfall in Kanyakumari district had decreased for the past two days, on Monday afternoon, heavy rainfall accompanied by thundershowers occurred across the district, including Thuckalay, Thiruvattar, Kulasekaram, Marthandam, and Nagercoil, which led to the flooding of the canals.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A Narayanaswamy flagged off the expedition-- which is part of three CRPF women teams participating in the expedition and being flagged off from Srinagar, Shillong, and Kanyakumari.
Thiruvattar Police said they have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the October 3 incident in which a woman and her two children died.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on the first anniversary of his Bharat Jodi Yatra, shared a video on X showing his 136-day journey, which covered 4,000-km journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.