Downpours caused flooding and flash flooding, and strong winds snapped trees in southern India on Tuesday. In some places, schools and business premises were closed.
Continuous and intense rainfall led to flooding of streets in many cities and towns. Traffic was disrupted in many places – cars were stuck in high water and pedestrians had difficulty moving around. The rainfall was accompanied by strong winds that broke branches and trees. In Bengaluru, Karnataka, a street was temporarily closed after a fallen tree fell on it.
Closed schools and businesses
One of the cities that suffered the most was Chennai, located on the Bay of Bengal. Authorities decided to cancel classes in a large number of schools on Wednesday.
Many company headquarters were also closed and employees were allowed to work remotely, the India Today daily reported.
Rain flooded roads in ChennaiReuters
This is not the end of the downpours
It may rain heavily in many places in the south of the country until Thursday. Orange and yellow weather alerts have been issued. Higher level warnings apply to the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The India Meteorological Department said the severe weather conditions were caused by a widespread low-pressure system that had moved over land from the Bay of Bengal. First it caused rainfall on the coast and then inland.
Main photo source: Reuters