Torrential rains lash Tamil Nadu as Northeast monsoon intensifies

As overnight rains brought heavy inflows of water, the sluice gates of Chennai’s two major reservoirs at Chembarambakkam and Poondi were opened wider on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, to regulate the water level and prevent the risk of floods.

A well-marked low pressure area located in the southwestern Bay of Bengal off the Tamil Nadu coast caused showers in various parts of Tamil Nadu. The state’s 90 major water bodies currently store 87.7% of the total capacity of 224.34 million cubic feet.

Click here to follow live updates on monsoon rains on 22 October 2025

Possibility of depression

As it continues to move towards the northwest, the Regional Meteorological Center (RMC) in Chennai has predicted the possibility of the system gathering strength as a depression over the southwestern and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal off the coasts of northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday evening.

It is expected to pass over the coasts of northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and southern Andhra Pradesh in the next 12 hours.

bodies of water

Chembarambakkam reservoir, Chennai’s major source of drinking water, is spread over an area of ​​25.51 square kilometers and receives an inflow of 2,170 cubic feet per second (cusec). This includes water diverted from Poondi reservoir through the connecting canal.

Water Resources Department officials said the upstream water bodies feeding the reservoir were filling up rapidly. The water level in Chembarambakkam reservoir stands at 20.84 feet on Wednesday (October 22) as compared to 18.52 feet on October 18.

With storage rising to 2.815 million cubic feet (mcft) against 3,645 ft, the department increased water discharge into Adyar River from 100 cusecs to 500 cusecs on Wednesday morning. This measure will ensure stabilization of storage and accommodate peak inflows. The Ministry has issued a flood warning for areas downstream and on the banks of the Adyar river

Similarly, water released from Poondi reservoir has been increased to 4,500 cusecs to maintain the water level at 33.05 feet, which is 2 feet lower than the full level.

Received rainfall

The northeast monsoon in its severe form has hit many regions across the state. Periyakalapet in Puducherry recorded extremely heavy rainfall of 25 cm in 24 hours ending 8.30 am. Various weather stations and rain gauges in and around Puducherry, Villupuram and Cuddalore received very heavy rainfall.

Widespread and heavy rains also affected many districts such as Chennai, Kallakurichi, Tiruchi, Karur and Chengalpattu.

To guess

In its current forecast, RMC has predicted light to moderate rainfall to cover northern districts of Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Ranipet and Cuddalore and also Kanniyakumari district outside Puducherry by 1 pm

RMC has updated the forecast and restricted the red alert for Ranipet and Tiruvallur districts till 8.30 am on Thursday, October 23. Many other northern Tamil Nadu districts, including Chennai, were put on orange alert during the same period.