Overview
- India’s weather office said the remnant of Cyclone Ditwah weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area tracking slowly southwest along the coast, with orange and yellow alerts for very heavy rain in northern districts.
- Schools and many colleges were closed on December 3 in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu, university exams were postponed, and officials announced a school holiday for Chennai and Tiruvallur on December 4.
- Ennore and other stations logged some of the state’s highest totals (up to 26 cm in 24 hours), with persistent waterlogging, traffic delays and targeted rescues reported in low-lying Chennai neighborhoods.
- To create buffer storage, shutters were opened at Poondi and Chembarambakkam and discharge from Red Hills was raised to 500 cusecs as inflows increased under continuing rain bands.
- Squally coastal winds and very rough seas led to a continued suspension of fishing along Tamil Nadu–Puducherry waters, while Sri Lanka advanced recovery plans after Ditwah’s earlier floods with a high death toll and international aid support.