Chennai rains: False ceiling in VR Mall collapses - WATCH VIDEO

Chennai: After a day of unprecedented downpour, rains returned to haunt the people of Chennai city and suburbs, which has been reeling under thick sheets of water.

After experiencing non-stop heavy showers for almost nine hours yesterday which had brought down the mercury level significantly, people woke up to bright and sunny morning on Friday, despite the Met office forecasting heavy showers for the next three days in the coastal and Cauvery delta districts.

The humidity level was a bit high due to the blazing sun and the sky remained clear.

However, an hour past noon, clouds converged and the skies opened up. What started as a slight drizzle, soon turned into a heavy downpour compounding the woes of the people and the New Year eve celebrations.

The rains were accompanied by strong winds which also hampered the relief works being undertaken by the Greater Chennai Corporation officials like pumping out stagnated water using motor pumps in several parts of the city.

Talking about yesterday's torrential rains, Met Office Director S.Puviarasan told reporters today that cloud burst was not the reason for the heavy rains.

"We have forecast heavy rains for today. But yesterday's rains were unexpected. Since the upper air cyclonic circulation, which was lying in the sea, suddenly moved towards the land at a fast pace, there was thick cloud cover leading to rains", he said, when asked whether the Met office had failed to predict the heavy showers.

Stating there might be some practical difficulties in accurately predicting the heavy rains, Mr Puviarasan said there would not be so much of rain if there was a cloudburst. The wind pattern and the speed the quantum of rain can change. This was the precise reason for yesterday's rain when the city received 24 cm of rains, recording the third wettest day in December.

Normal life continued to remain affected as several areas were inundated affecting free movement of vehicular traffic. In several areas rain waters had entered the house-holds.

Meanwhile, an eight-second video is going viral on the social media which shows a portion of the false ceiling of the VR mall in Anna Nagar collapsed and dropped to the floor, and rain water gushed down from the ceiling.

Chief Minister M K Stalin has visited the rain affected areas in the city along with Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi and inspected the relief works.

Mr Stalin, who reviewed the rain situation past midnight last night soon after returning from Trichy after participating in an official function, ordered closure of all government offices, except those engaged in essential services, in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts today. Holiday has been declared for schools and colleges also in these districts. (Inputs from UNI)