Copious rains, brought by cyclonic storm ‘Jal’, on Sunday disrupted normal life in Chennai and in other parts of Tamil Nadu inundating low-lying areas, while two persons were killed in rain-related incidents.

Over 10,000 families living in low lying areas in the city have been accommodated in community halls and schools.

Chennai corporation authorities have set up four massive kitchens to prepare food for these families, officials said.

Cyclone moved westwards

A weather bulletin said that the cyclone moved westwards and lay centred at 1430 hrs over southwest Bay of Bengal about 150 km east-southeast of Chennai and 280 km south-southeast of Nellore, 450 km north of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka).

‘Jal’ would move west-northwestwards, slightly weaken further and cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Chennai and Nellore as a cyclonic storm tonight (Sunday), it said.

Rain or thundershower would occur at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls (25 cm) over north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during next 24 hours beginning 0830 hrs on Sunday.

Isolated heavy to very heavy falls would occur over Rayalaseema and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh in the same period, it said.

Gales reaching 90 kmph would prevail along and off North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts. Sea conditions will be rough.

A 50-year-old man died in Chennai on Sunday when a branch fell on him due to strong winds, police said.

At Kanyakumari in Nagercoil district, a 38-year-old man, who went for sightseeing near the beach, slipped from a rock and was washed away by the high waves.

The victim’s body was later recovered, they said, adding he hailed from Bangalore.

Chennai had been experiencing intermittent rains since last night. It recorded a rainfall of three centimetres till 1430 hours on Sunday, the weather office said.

Being a Sunday, most residents preferred to remain home. Most cinema houses reported thin attendance, a rare phenomenon on an off-day.

Schools and colleges would on Monday remain closed in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.

If the cyclone hits the Chennai coast, it would be the first one to do so in 44 years. The last such incident was recorded in 1996.