the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued no major warning in the state on Wednesday. The weather department said, "Squally weather with wind speed 40-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph likely to prevail along and off South Tamil Nadu coast, over Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these sea areas during above mentioned period." In the wake of no IMD alert, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said the forecast of heavy rainfall by the IMD was also 'wrong'.
He was quoted by PTI as saying, "...the IMD had predicted isolated to heavy, very heavy to extremely rainfall may occur in one or two places. This is what the forecast said. But Kayalpattinam (a municipality in Tuticorin district) received 115 cm rainfall in two days." Meena said southern districts, particularly Tirunelveli and Tuticorin, witnessed record rainfall and flooding.
"Kayalpattinam within 30 hours received 1,186 mm of rainfall while Tiruchendur 921 mm. Lot of places in Tuticorin and those villages which are located on the banks of river Thamirabharani were affected due to the floods," he was quoted by PTI as saying. 1. Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said 10 people died due to rain-related incident across the state.
"Seven of them (10 deaths) were reported in the Tirunelveli district and three in the Thoothukudi district. Three of these people died due to wall collapse, four died due to drowning, two due to electrocution, and one is likely to be a natural death," he was quoted by ANI as saying. 2. A holiday was announced in all schools and colleges of Tirunelveli district on Wednesday, December 20.
Read more on livemint.com