Chennai Rains: Heavy Downpour Cause Flight Delays, Disrupt Travel For Hundreds

Heavy rains in Chennai on Wednesday evening caused significant disruptions to flight operations, resulting in delays and cancellations at the city's airport.

Severe weather, including thunder and lightning, led to the delay of at least 35 flights and the cancellation of two, with both incoming and outgoing flights severely impacted, as per a report in DTNext.

An Indigo Airlines flight from Tiruchirappalli, carrying 68 passengers, was forced to return to Bengaluru after it was unable to land in Chennai due to the adverse weather conditions. Over a dozen flights from key cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar were left circling Chennai's airspace for extended periods, waiting for a break in the storm to land safely.

A total of 20 outgoing flights to destinations including Kochi, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Indore, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Kuala Lumpur experienced delays of up to two hours before they could depart. The rains caused significant challenges for both ground operations and air traffic.

As the weather momentarily eased, some flights managed to land, but an Indigo flight scheduled to arrive from Tiruchirappalli at 10:05 pm had to be diverted to Bengaluru due to low fuel levels after being unable to circle further in the skies above Chennai.

Chennai experienced heavy rainfall starting after 6 pm yesterday, which continued late into the night, causing power outages and traffic snarls in several parts of the city. According to officials, from 8:30 am yesterday to 5:30 am today, Nungambakkam recorded 7.42 cm of rainfall, while Meenambakkam received 7.12 cm.

In addition to Chennai, heavy rains were reported in Tiruvallur, Vellore, Cuddalore, and Puducherry last night. The Valparai weather station in Coimbatore recorded 8.0 mm of rainfall, while Thiruttani in Tiruvallur district received 5.0 mm. Cuddalore saw 0.2 mm, Vellore recorded 0.4 mm, and Puducherry experienced 0.3 mm of rainfall.

The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecasted light to moderate rains in north Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, until the weekend. The weather department has advised residents to stay prepared for continued showers as the region remains under the influence of the monsoon system.