Floating Cars: Life Stops in Chennai As Cyclone Michaung Brings Heavy Rain.
Triggered by cyclone ‘Michaung’, heavy rainfall has thrown normal life completely out of gear in many parts of Tamil Nadu, especially in Chennai, where two people lost their lives in rain-related incidents. Michaung is currently swirling over the Bay of Bengal and is heading towards the Andhra coast. The cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam tomorrow at noon.
Torrential rain triggered by the cyclone has wreaked havoc upon Tamil Nadu, with Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, and Thiruvallur districts bearing the brunt of the downpour.
India’s manufacturing capital Chennai, came to a standstill on Sunday, with many areas flooded after the southern Indian coast was battered by heavy rainfall overnight, prompting authorities to issue warnings and evacuate people from low-lying areas.
Local media showed footage of cars submerged under water, uprooted trees and people being rescued on rubber boats in various parts of Chennai, the largest city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and often called ‘India’s Detroit’ due to its large car-making industry.
Greater Chennai Corporation, the civic body, said on Twitter it had opened up relief centers and medical camps across the city and was distributing food to flood victims.
Heavy rains were expected to continue for the next four days in different parts of Tamil Nadu, the southern Andhra Pradesh state and the union territory of Puducherry, India’s meteorological department said in a statement on Sunday, asking fishermen not to venture into sea.