The Regional Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy rain for nine Tamil Nadu districts on Tuesday, 16 September 2025, with the Nilgiris and Coimbatore bracing for prolonged heavy showers accompanied by strong winds through 20 September. The warning comes as a weather trough stretching from southern interior Karnataka to the southwest Bay of Bengal continues to influence conditions across the state.

Districts Under Heavy Rain Warning

Under the influence of the active trough, heavy rain has been forecast for the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tirupattur, and Ranipet districts. Meanwhile, Madurai, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, and Sivaganga are expected to receive moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, the weather agency has indicated heavy showers for Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet, and the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapattinam. Chennai may receive moderate rain during the evening or night. Notably, maximum temperatures could remain up to three degrees Celsius above normal at isolated places in interior Tamil Nadu despite the widespread rainfall.

Two Deaths in Lightning Strikes

Rain-related incidents across Tamil Nadu have already claimed two lives in separate lightning strikes. Sonuram Kond, a 25-year-old worker from Odisha, was killed after lightning struck him during borewell construction work at Silvarpatti near Reddiyarchatram in Dindigul district. In a separate incident in Tenkasi district, mason Kasirajan was struck by lightning while working at a construction site in Krishnapuram near Kadayanallur, even as only light rain was falling at the time.

Flooding, Waterlogging and Power Outages

In Perambalur district, heavy rain over the Pachamalai hills triggered sudden flooding in fields and streams near Adakkampatti village, leaving several people stranded after rising waters cut off their return route from the foothills. Local residents managed to rescue them using ropes.

Near Sholavandan in Madurai district, a large tree uprooted by heavy rain fell on an electricity pole, forcing authorities to suspend power supply as a precautionary measure. Delays in removing the fallen tree resulted in an outage lasting more than two hours, inconveniencing local residents. In Virudhunagar, heavy showers caused significant waterlogging on roads, and rainwater entered several shops, disrupting businesses and residents alike.

Relief in Theni, Kodaikanal and Ramanathapuram

The rains have not been without relief. Moderate rainfall brought respite to people and farmers across Theni district. Kodaikanal and its surrounding areas recorded cooler temperatures after receiving moderate rain for over three hours. Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district experienced widespread rainfall for about an hour during the afternoon, offering relief from the prevailing humid conditions.

With the trough persisting and the extended forecast through 20 September keeping the Nilgiris and Coimbatore on alert, authorities are expected to maintain a close watch on rivers, streams, and vulnerable hillside zones over the coming days.