A red alert has been issued for the ghat regions of Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts for May 29 and 30, with the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. The alert follows continuous downpours that have already triggered landslides and roadblocks in the Nilgiris, disrupting normal life and raising serious safety concerns.
The weather system responsible for the intense rainfall is a well-marked low-pressure area that has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal, off the Odisha coast. The system, which persisted over the same region on Wednesday, is expected to intensify into a depression within the next 24 hours. An associated cyclonic circulation, extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level and tilting southward with height, is contributing to the widespread rainfall across Tamil Nadu.
Other districts including Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari are also expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain at isolated locations during this period, while Dindigul and Tiruppur may see heavy showers in certain pockets.
In the Nilgiris, continuous rainfall has led to landslides in several areas and forced the closure of key roads. Traffic was halted on the Ooty-Gudalur National Highway due to gradual soil movement near Naduvattam. District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru has warned that two large boulders, currently balanced on loose soil and supported only by trees, could collapse onto the road at any moment. As a precaution, the road has been closed to all vehicles except emergency services, with government buses allowed to operate only during daylight hours.
Meanwhile, the National Highways and Forest Departments are jointly working on a mitigation plan to prevent further disruption. Several residential areas, including Nondimedu and Manjanakorai under the Ooty Municipality, reported landslides on Wednesday. In Manjanakorai, a mud house collapsed due to the rain, and six trees were uprooted across Ooty and nearby locations.
A tree fell on an electric pole along Havelock Road, while another came down near the Nilgiris Superintendent of Police’s office, leading to power outages in parts of the hill town. Restoration work is underway, with Tamil Nadu Electricity Board staff and Fire and Rescue Services teams deployed round-the-clock to clear debris and restore services.
In Sholurmattam near Kilkotagiri, strong winds blew away the zinc-sheet roof of a government school. No injuries were reported as the school was closed for holidays. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been inspecting vulnerable areas and offering guidance on preventive measures.
The Forest Department has closed all tourist spots under its jurisdiction for Thursday, except for the Kodanad viewpoint. With incessant rain continuing to lash the hills, temperatures have dropped sharply, with Ooty recording a maximum of just 15 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
-IANS