Tamil Nadu braces for monsoon: Red alert in 8 districts

As the Northeast monsoon intensified across Tamil Nadu, the regional weather office issued heavy rainfall alert to a number of districts on Tuesday (October 21), while Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the situation with officials and directed that precautionary measures be put in place in view of the downpour.

A red alert was issued for 8 districts and an orange alert for Chennai for Tuesday, even as widespread rain lashed various parts of the state, according to the meteorological department. Cauvery delta districts have been witnessing steady rainfall.

Stalin reviewed the precautionary measures being undertaken in Chennai and its surrounding districts.

Also Read: Chennai records 63.5 mm rain; Udhayanidhi Stalin inspects works for monsoon readiness

Red alert issued to 8 districts

A red alert was issued for Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram districts, an official from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said. A similar alert was also issued for the neighbouring Puducherry Union Territory.

"Heavy rain is likely to occur across the entire north coastal belt, but extremely heavy rain is expected in the above districts," the official said, adding that an orange alert has been issued for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.

A red alert indicates extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm.

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Stalin ordered officials to be ready

In Chennai, Chief Minister MK Stalin held a meeting with the concerned district collectors through video conference and instructed them to keep relief camps ready for people affected by rain. According to an official release, he directed them to make all the arrangements for the affected people, including food, drinking water and medicine.

To mitigate damage caused by rain, Stalin advised the teams to be ready with necessary equipment such as JCB machines, boats, motor pumps, trucks and saws.

Earlier today, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected the infrastructure and renovation works being carried out in the South Chennai area to improve the waterways so that floodwaters can easily flow into the sea during the monsoon season. Udhayanidhi visited the Okkiam Madhavi canal, where the work is being undertaken at a cost of Rs 27 crore. He also inspected the desilting work in theKannagi Nagar area, an official release said.

The renovation and development works include deepening, widening, constructing covered canals with concrete walls, stormwater drains as well as desilting the areas where the canals meet the sea and the estuaries.

திருவள்ளூர், சென்னை, காஞ்சிபுரம், செங்கல்பட்டு மற்றும் டெல்டா மாவட்டங்களில் பெய்து வரும் கனமழையை எதிர்கொள்வது குறித்து, இன்றும் காணொலிக் காட்சி வாயிலாக ஆலோசனைக் கூட்டத்தை நடத்தினேன்.

பொதுமக்களிடம் இருந்து பெறப்படும் புகார்கள் மீது உடனடி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கவும், நெல் கொள்முதல்… pic.twitter.com/OPndG0QGWY

— M.K.Stalin - தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) October 21, 2025

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Northeast monsoon

The Northeast monsoon has intensified across Tirunelveli, affecting agricultural villages like Mannarkoil, Ayan, Thiruvaalieswaram, Kakanallur, Vaigaikulam, and Bramadesam. Relentless rain in and around Ambasamudram in the district for the past two days affected thousands of acres of paddy crop harvesting.

Speaking to the news agency PTI, farmer Subramaniam from Kakanallur village said that there was no time to harvest paddy as there was no respite between the Southwest and Northeast monsoons this year.

"Fields are still standing with ripe paddy. If it continues to rain, farmers here will be affected. One thing the government can do to relieve our burden is enable door-step procurement of rice as soon as we finish harvesting," he said.

According to him, even the paddy crop that some have managed to harvest could not be collected due to the early onset of northeast monsoon. In several areas in Tirunelveli, paddy stalks were seen bent over, and in some places stalks started to sprout from the base.

(With inputs from agency)