Chennai: Schools in Chennai and its neighbouring districts will remain closed on Wednesday, October 21, after district collectors declared a holiday as heavy rain continued across northern Tamil Nadu and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of more very heavy rainfall. LiveMint, citing the Tamil daily Dinakaran, reported that a holiday was declared for schools in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram districts, with the Chennai District Collector announcing a one-day holiday for all schools in the city as a precautionary measure amid the IMD warning. The Hindu reported that schools in Chennai and four other districts had declared a holiday.

The city has already received intense rain. The Hindu reported that the weather stations at Meenambakkam and Nungambakkam recorded 12 cm and 11 cm of rainfall respectively, followed by Taramani (10 cm), Madhavaram (9 cm), and Villivakkam and Nandanam (8 cm each).

The IMD has issued an orange alert predicting very heavy rainfall in Ramanathapuram, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Chennai and Tiruvallur, LiveMint reported. An orange alert is the department's second-highest warning level, asking authorities and residents to be prepared for adverse weather.

The closures come as the northeast monsoon remains active over Tamil Nadu, the state's main rainy season, and follow days of heavy-rain alerts for the coast and the delta districts. District administrations said the holiday was a precaution against continuous rainfall in the region, according to the reports.