Chennai witnesses cloudburst, heavy rainfall disrupts air travel
What's the story
Chennai's Manali area witnessed a cloudburst on Saturday night, leading to heavy rainfall. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 10.6cm of rain from 10:00pm to 11:00pm and another 12.6cm from 11:00pm to midnight on August 30, 2025. Wimco Nagar received the highest rainfall of 15.7cm during the hour from 11:00pm to midnight on August 30, followed by Korattur with 13.7cm and New Manali Town with 10.3cm during the same period.
Rainfall impact
Manali receives 27cm of rain
The IMD recorded over 100mm of rainfall in several parts of Chennai. Manali received 27cm of rain while New Manali Town and Wimco Nagar received 26cm and 23cm, respectively, during a 24-hour period ending at 8:30am on Sunday. Other areas such as Kathivakkam (13.6cm), Tiruvottiyur (12.6cm), and Ayapakkam (12.1cm) also witnessed heavy rainfall during this period.
Airport disruptions
Heavy rainfall affects air travel
The heavy rainfall in Chennai also affected air travel. Three flights from Frankfurt, Mangaluru, and New Delhi were diverted to Bengaluru as they couldn't land at the city airport due to the weather conditions. However, once the weather cleared up in Chennai, passengers were flown back from Bengaluru by different flights.
Weather update
Weather forecast for Tamil Nadu
The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecasted light to moderate rain in isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal in the next 24 hours. Strong winds with speeds of 40-50km/h are also likely over these areas. This weather update comes after a similar pattern was observed on August 23 when several districts, including Chennai, received moderate to heavy overnight rains.