The Indian Air Force, the army, and other rescue teams are conducting relief operations.
The Indian Air Force, the army, and other rescue teams are conducting relief operations.
Extremely heavy rains lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu over the past 24 hours, inundating vast swathes in at least four southern districts, including Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, where villages and towns resembled rivers, prompting authorities to shift at least 7,500 people marooned in residential colonies to relief camps, officials said.

At least four people were killed in rain-related incidents on Monday, officials said and added that details regarding the incidents have been sought from local authorities.

Intense rainfall and heavy inundation have wreaked havoc in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts in southern Tamil Nadu, with several parts witnessing their highest-ever downpour in a day. Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi registered 96 cm rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Monday, according to the Met department.



"Such extremely heavy rainfall is unprecedented," chief secretary Shiv Das Meena told reporters in Chennai, adding that services of the Indian armed forces have been requisitioned.

The India Meteorological department had sounded a red alert (highest warning) in the four districts on Sunday. "We received an alert from IMD that there could be extremely heavy rainfall, which is about 20 cm, but Kayalpattinam alone received 96 cm in last 24 hours," Meena added.

A total of 39 places in the four southern districts have recorded extremely heavy rain in the past 24 hours, S Balachandran, deputy director of Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), said.

IMD grades rainfall of 21 cm and above in the 24-hour duration as extremely heavy, between 12 and 20 cm as very heavy, and from 7 to 11 cm as heavy.

Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli also logged its highest single-day rain at 44.2 cm, surpassing the previous high of 29.2 cm in 1963. Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi received 69 cm of rain, Moolaikaraipatti in Tirunelveli (62 cm) and Gundar dam in Tenkasi (51 cm), officials said.

"Tamil Nadu has received 440 mm [44 cm] of rain since October 1. Research papers indicate an increase in extreme rainfall in north-east monsoon season," Balachandran said.


The RMC has attributed the intense rainfall to cyclonic circulation over the Comorin area in south-east Sri Lanka.

The fresh spell of extremely heavy rains came around a fortnight after heavy rainfall brought by cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc in Chennai and north Tamil Nadu. At least 13 people died in the rain-related incidents on December 4 and 5, officials had said.

Power supply and mobile phone connectivity were impacted, public transportation was completely affected after road link was cut-off in several regions of southern Tamil Nadu following breaches in lakes and flooding, officials said.

The storage in major dams and reservoirs in southern Tamil Nadu ranged between 80% and 100%.

Nearly 1,000 passengers in an express train were stranded at Srivaikuntam railway station in Thoothukudi since Sunday night after the tracks were flooded and developed cracks. Transport secretary Phanindra Reddy said food is being supplied through air to the stranded passengers. "Rescue is hindered by the flood waters.

Action is being taken to send the rescue team," Reddy posted on X.

The National Highway connecting Madurai with Tirunelveli resembled a river. Southern Railway has cancelled several trains to various destinations in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari districts and those passing through these districts.


Chief minister MK Stalin, who was monitoring the situation from Coimbatore, left for New Delhi in the evening and sought an appointment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the flood situation. "The entire government machinery has jumped into action to carry out relief work," Stalin said.

Governor RN Ravi has also convened a meeting on Tuesday with senior officials of central agencies and armed forces to review the situation in flood-affected southern districts.

In several areas, landslides and breach in water bodies were also reported on Monday, officials said. Due to heavy rains, water entered houses in low-lying areas and vehicles were stranded in view of flooding.

The state government has declared a four-day holiday for schools and colleges, the chief secretary said.

At least 17 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) comprising 425 personnel have been pressed into service to rescue people living in low-lying areas by using boats, he added.

"More boats are being sent to Thoothukudi, Srivaikundam, and Kayalpattinam which are among the worst-affected areas," Meena said. Over 7,500 flood-affected people have been evacuated and moved to 82 relief camps, he added.

While rains began to subside in the evening, the IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts and light to moderate rain at many places in south Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.