Chennai has received the highest amount of rainfall since the rain and subsequent floods in 2015. Weather blogger Pradeep John, who goes by Tamil Weatherman on social media, said Chennai is witnessing the “biggest rainfall event” since the 2015 floods. According to information from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Meenambakkam has received 415 mm rainfall from December 3 until 1.30pm on December 4, while Nungambakkam has gotten 390 mm during the same period. In his post on social media, Pradeep John stated, “Without the cut-off at 8.30 am, the rains would be 300+ in 24 hrs, if we take event as whole for 24 hrs and for 48 hrs it would be 400 mm (sic).”
On December 1 2015, the city was heavily flooded after receiving 494 mm of rainfall in a span of 24 hours which resulted in the deaths of at least 250 people. Chennai was declared a disaster zone on December 2, 2015. In November 2015, the city had received an overall rainfall of 1049.3 mm, making it the highest amount of rain received since 1918.
Since 2015, Chennai also witnessed heavy rains in 2021 when several parts of the city received more than 200 mm in a span of 24 hours. On November 6, 2021, Chennai’s DGP office station recorded 230 mm of rainfall while Nungambakkam received 215 mm.
According to IMD, between December 3 and December 4, several parts of Chennai received more than 20 cm of rainfall owing to Cyclone Michaung. As of 12:30 pm on December 4, Cyclone Michaung has intensified as a severe cyclonic storm and is 90 km northeast of the Chennai coast. It is expected to move along north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh before making landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam at 11:30 am on December 5.
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