Chennai, Oct 26: Heavy rain triggered by the strengthening northeast monsoon prompted authorities to declare a holiday for schools in several parts of Tamil Nadu on Monday, IANS reported. District Collectors announced school holidays across Coimbatore, Dindigul and Ramanathapuram districts. In the Nilgiris, the closure applies only to schools in Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Kundah taluks, and schools elsewhere in the hill district remained open. Schools in Periyakulam taluk of Theni district were also given a holiday following persistent rain along the foothills of the Kodaikanal hills, amid a red alert for exceptionally heavy rainfall in Theni district.

Source: IANS via NewKerala

Puducherry Education Minister A. Namassivayam announced a holiday for schools and colleges in the Puducherry and Karaikal regions, IANS said, a closure also reported by Careers360 and Jagran Josh. In Kallakurichi district, holidays were declared for selected institutions, including schools in the Chinnasalem block. The Chengalpattu Collector, by contrast, clarified that schools and colleges across that district would operate normally, and Chennai schools had no holiday announcement, with parents advised to stay in touch with their schools, Careers360 reported.

Source: Careers360

3 districtsCoimbatore, Dindigul and Ramanathapuram — full school holiday on Monday
4 taluksNilgiris taluks closed — Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Kundah; rest of the district open
Red alertExceptionally heavy rainfall warning in force for Theni district

The closures follow widespread rainfall across Tamil Nadu as a weather system over the central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal intensified, and the system is expected to strengthen into a cyclone, bringing further rain to several parts of the state, according to the forecast cited by IANS. Heavy to very heavy rain with thunderstorms is forecast in Pudukkottai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts, and heavy rain is also likely in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, with moderate rainfall and strong winds possible elsewhere.

Source: IANS via NewKerala

Rain lashed Allinagaram, Annanji, Vadapudupatti and Aranmanai Pudur near Theni, while downpours affected motorists in several parts of Kanniyakumari district, including Kuzhithurai, Marthandam, Arumanai, Kulasekaram and Thuckalay, IANS reported. In Tiruvannamalai, devotees undertaking the girivalam for the Aippasi full moon braved overnight rain with umbrellas and raincoats. In Palani, rainfall intensified at night, with wall collapses damaging houses along the Palani-Old Dharapuram Road; no casualties were reported in the IANS account.

Source: IANS via NewKerala

The holiday orders cover Monday alone, IANS noted. In districts where closures were restricted to specified taluks or individual institutions, the announcements do not extend to all schools across the district, and the Nilgiris administration specifically said schools in the remaining taluks would function normally.