Meteorological department's nowcast put Chennai under a yellow alert. There could be moderate rain and thunderstorms until October 21. Residents are advised to stay prepared as the weather conditions may lead to isolated heavy rainfall in the region.

As Tamil Nadu prepares for this spell of heavy rain, schools and colleges in various districts have been shut.

IMD declares onset of the Northeast Monsoon over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Coastal AP, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka, and Kerala starting today.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for seven districts in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Vellore, and Ranipet. A yellow alert has also been issued for certain areas of the state on Thursday,

The weather department has warned of heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring areas for the next few days. The schools were shut due to the incessant rainfall in tech cities- Chennai and Bengaluru.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Chennai and six other Tamil Nadu districts due to heavy rain from a depression in the Bay of Bengal. Waterlogging has been reported, prompting food support in Amma canteens for affected residents.

As several southern states continue to be lashed by heavy rainfall, the respective state governments have instructed the district officials to announce school holidays. Parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have been reeling under heavy showers for a few days now.

Schools across Chennai and parts of Andhra Pradesh were closed on Wednesday due to incessant rainfall and IMD's warning.