Cyclone Murasu Intensifies; holiday declared for Schools and Colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur

With Cyclone Murasu intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, holidays have been declared for schools and colleges in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts on Monday as a precautionary measure.
The respective District Collectors announced the holiday following an orange alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), warning of very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
The cyclone, which developed over the Bay of Bengal, was located around 480 km southeast of Chennai on Sunday afternoon. It is moving west-northwestwards and is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapuram from Monday midnight to the early hours of November 3.
An orange alert has been issued for Chennai and Tiruvallur, while a yellow alert has been issued for Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore and Nilgiris districts.
Meanwhile, Chennai has been experiencing continuous rainfall since Sunday night. Several areas, including Ashok Nagar, Koyambedu, Vadapalani, Guindy, T. Nagar, Nungambakkam, Egmore, Ambattur and Avadi, received rainfall on Monday morning.
The IMD has forecast further rainfall across northern Tamil Nadu, with heavy rain likely in isolated parts of the Nilgiris on November 3.