Chennai, October 24 — Schools in six taluks of Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district remained closed on Saturday as persistent rain continued to lash several parts of the state, officials said.

Source: NewKerala

District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya issued the order covering every school in Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Kundah, Gudalur and Pandalur taluks, after rain in these areas continued since Friday night, ReportWire reported.

Source: ReportWire

The neighbouring Coimbatore district also declared a holiday for all categories of schools. Its Collector further instructed school managements not to run any special classes on Saturday, and schools were told not to summon students for extra coaching. The directive applies to all kinds of schools across the district.

Rain affected the western districts and many central and southern parts of the state, leaving roads waterlogged and obstructing traffic in some localities. Pudukkottai's urban areas saw intense rainfall lasting over thirty minutes, Tiruchirappalli city and nearby areas experienced heavy downpours, and in Thanjavur a bright morning gave way to an evening shower. In Karur, rainwater logging on roads in Pallapatti left residents and vehicle users struggling.

The closures come as a low-pressure area has developed over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department has indicated the system may strengthen into a cyclone and head towards the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coastline, with heavy rain expected in Tamil Nadu.