I just read a story about how it has been raining so badly in Chennai, that it caused even the airport to be shut down. I realize this was an unusual occurance for the rain to be so harsh, but, in general, Is Chennai usually a rainy place?
Hello, @Barty! Welcome to the forum! The average annual rainfall of Chennai is 140 cm or 55 in. The months of mid-October to mid-December are the most rainy ones. In 2005, the highest annual rainfall was recorded here at about 257 cm or 101 in. Chennai does receive moderate to heavy rainfall each year. However, just last year during the month of December, Chennai experienced its worst rainfall yet. Airport shutdown, train shutdown, factory shutdown and emergency evacuation for residents were done. For the most part, the storm at that time was exceptionally strong. The rainfall at that time exceeded the normal limits about three times more. During the month of November then, Chennai received 1,218 mm, again, this was over 3 times than normal. The normal monthly rainfall was at 404 mm. On the first day December last year, 344 mm of rainfall was recorded. The city's main reserves, rivers and tanks were overflowing at this time and also contributed to the floods. Aside from the airport shutting down, electricity was also shut down. Businesses were forced to shut down for 21 days resulting in an economic crisis as well. Worst part though is that about 65 people died in this tragic disaster. The storm itself was strong but we cannot deny that there has been some failures on the part of the government, and maybe the people as well. This incident lead to the discovery of the poor infrastructures in the city. The city has been a major business hub and so there was an increase in the people and vehicles. However, not many infrastructures were built to handle them. The reservoirs weren't planned that well, as they weren't able to handle the huge gush of water that time. Drainage systems were filled with silt and garbage as well. Perhaps, to better avoid this incident in the future, the government and the people need to work together. Chennai is fast becoming an urban city and certain measures has to be done to prevent this disaster from happening in the future. As I've said, the people also has some part in it. Low lying areas aren't meant to be lived in, yet real estate constructions are done there. Some even with multiple storeys. And if the government says that the area is not suitable for living, still, people stand their ground. Maybe because their line of work is still in the city. So we go back to the government to provide some forms of occupations for people in the rural areas. There are many reasons as to why the flooding and raining occurred. Generally, rain is a part of the life of the residents in Chennai. The flooding though isn't that normal. And that's one thing that can be fixed by both the people and the government. I hope this helps.
Well I hope that the people and the government can do their part to fix the infrastructure that was the cause of the flooding. I knew that it rained in India a lot, and even when we were there it was off an on pretty repeatedly, and when it came down it came down hard. This sounds terrible though, especially with everything shutting down. Mother nature is a wild sometimes, so you must be prepared.
Chennai actually doesn't see rain year-round. Here's a breakdown of Chennai's rainfall patterns: Average Rainfall: Chennai receives an average annual rainfall of around 1,400 millimeters (55 inches). Monsoons: The city gets most of its rain during the northeast monsoon season, from mid-September to mid-December. Lesser Rains: There's some rainfall during the southwest monsoon season from mid-June to mid-September, but it's less significant. Rest of the Year: Chennai experiences relatively dry weather for most of the remaining year. So, while Chennai does get its share of rain during the monsoon months, very heavy rain and airport closures are not typical occurrences. The story you read likely describes an unusual event with heavy rainfall exceeding normal expectations.
