CHENNAI: The cyclonic storm Ditwah, which weakened into a deep depression on Sunday while bringing heavy rains to delta districts, reached closer to Chennai’s coast on Monday with many parts of the city and nearby regions witnessing incessant rainfall since Sunday night.

In view of the rains, the district collectors of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur announced a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday.

The weather forecast issued by Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai on Monday afternoon predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall to occur at a few places in Tiruvallur and Chennai districts through Monday while heavy rainfall could occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts.

The RMC further said light to moderate rains at isolated places could occur over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Tuesday as well.

As per the update, the deep depression (remnant of the cyclonic storm) moved slowly northwards at a speed of 3 km per hour and laid centered as of 11:30 am on Monday at southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of westcentral Bay of Bengal, about 50 km east-southeast of Chennai, 140 km northeast of Puducherry, and 160 km northeast of Cuddalore. The minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts was about 35 km, the update said.

The RMC further said that the system will continue to move slowly parallel to the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts and maintain its intensity of deep depression until Monday evening, after which it is likely to weaken into a depression over the subsequent 12 hours. By Monday evening, the system will be centered within a minimum distance of 30 km from Chennai‘s coast.

Meanwhile, in the 24-hour period ending Monday morning, Mahabalipuram in Chengalpattu district received the maximum of 6 cm of rainfall, the RMC said. Many places in Chennai, and a few places in Cuddalore and Chengalpattu districts received 3 to 4 cm of rainfall.

With no holidays declared for schools in these districts, particularly Chennai, students and parents in many places in the city faced inconvenience in commuting to the schools.

The Greater Chennai Corporation said most parts of the city remained free from inundation. Low levels of stagnation in a few places in Manali, Tondiarpet and Adyar were being addressed with the deployment of pumps, the civic body said.