Heavy Rain Prompts School Closures Across Parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry

District Collectors announced closures in Coimbatore, Dindigul and Ramanathapuram districts. In the Nilgiris, the holiday applies only to schools in Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Kundah taluks, with institutions in the remaining parts of the district scheduled to function normally.

In Theni district, schools in Periyakulam taluk have been given a holiday following persistent rainfall along the foothills of the Kodaikanal hills. The district is also under a red alert for exceptionally heavy rainfall.

Puducherry Education Minister A. Namassivayam announced the closure of schools and colleges in the Puducherry and Karaikal regions.

In Kallakurichi district, holidays have been declared for selected educational institutions, including Porasakurichi Panchayat Union Middle School, Virugavur Panchayat Union Primary School, Virugavur Government Higher Secondary School, Government Model Higher Secondary School and Eriyur Panchayat Union Middle School in Chinnasalem block.

Meanwhile, the Chengalpattu District Collector clarified that schools and colleges across the district would operate as usual.

Heavy Rain Forecast as Bay of Bengal System Strengthens

The closures come amid widespread rainfall across Tamil Nadu as a weather system over the central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal continues to intensify.

The system is forecast to strengthen into a cyclone, potentially bringing further rainfall to several parts of the state.

The weather department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in Pudukkottai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts.

Heavy showers are also likely in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam. Other areas may receive moderate rainfall accompanied by strong winds.

Downpours Affect Several Districts

Rainfall was reported in Allinagaram, Annanji, Vadapudupatti and Aranmanai Pudur near Theni. In Kanniyakumari district, heavy showers affected motorists in areas including Kuzhithurai, Marthandam, Arumanai, Kulasekaram and Thuckalay.

In Tiruvannamalai, devotees undertaking the traditional girivalam around Arunachaleswarar Temple during the Aippasi full moon continued their pilgrimage overnight despite the rain, using umbrellas and raincoats.

Rainfall also intensified in Palani during the night, with wall collapses damaging houses along the Palani-Old Dharapuram Road.

Holiday Orders Limited to Monday

The school and college closures announced by the authorities apply to Monday, October 26. In districts where holidays have been restricted to particular taluks or individual institutions, the orders do not extend to every educational institution across the district.

The Nilgiris administration has specifically clarified that schools outside the four affected taluks will remain open.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the weather situation as the northeast monsoon brings further rainfall across Tamil Nadu.