Chennai, December 1, 2025 – A deep depression, the weakened remnant of Cyclone Ditwah, has virtually camped just off the north Tamil Nadu coast, triggering non-stop heavy rain that has thrown life completely out of gear in Chennai and neighbouring districts. The system, now located barely 30–50 km east-southeast of the city, is moving at a snail’s pace of 3–5 km/h, allowing continuous bands of rain clouds to hammer the region for hours on end.
Since Sunday night, the city has been lashed without a break. By Monday evening, several parts of Chennai recorded 10–15 cm of rain in just 12 hours, with some northern and western suburbs crossing 20 cm. Roads in Anna Nagar, Velachery, Madipakkam, Tambaram, Ambattur and Perambur turned into rivers. Vehicles were stranded, underpasses submerged, and thousands of residents spent the night without power after trees fell on electric lines. Flights at Chennai airport were delayed or diverted because of poor visibility and waterlogged taxiways.
The worst-affected areas include low-lying zones such as Perumbakkam, Mudichur, Pallikaranai, and parts of Saidapet and T. Nagar. The Greater Chennai Corporation pressed more than 250 motor pumps into service and kept relief boats ready, but the sheer volume of water overwhelmed even newly-built stormwater drains.
After reviewing the latest India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast late Monday night, the Tamil Nadu government took no chances. District collectors of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur jointly declared a complete holiday on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, for all schools, colleges, and other educational institutions – from play schools to postgraduate centres. Anna University and the University of Madras have already postponed all semester examinations scheduled for Tuesday, with fresh dates to be announced later.
“The safety of students and teaching staff is our top priority. Given the orange alert and the forecast of continued heavy rain with thunder and lightning, we decided to declare a holiday,” said Chennai District Collector Rashmi Siddharth Zagade in an official statement.
IMD has warned that the deep depression will continue to drift slowly north-northwest and may weaken into a normal depression by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but the four districts are likely to receive another 7–12 cm of rain in the next 24 hours, with isolated places possibly getting extremely heavy spells above 20 cm. Fishermen have been strictly advised not to venture into the sea as gale-force winds of 55–75 km/h are expected along the coast.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin held a high-level review meeting with disaster management officials and directed NDRF and SDRF teams to remain on standby in vulnerable pockets. Relief centres have been opened in several corporation schools, and food packets are being distributed in waterlogged colonies.
For the thousands of students who had a harrowing time reaching school on Monday morning through flooded streets, Tuesday’s holiday comes as a huge relief. Parents across social media expressed gratitude for the government’s timely decision, with many saying they would have anyway kept their children home given the intensity of the rain.
As Chennai wakes up to another wet morning, the city’s famed spirit of bouncing back is once again on display – but everyone is hoping the skies clear soon.
