How many millimeters of rain did it take to flood Chennai?

Here's the Hindu report yesterday.

After a few days of relief from rain, monsoon activity resumed over the State with heavy showers on the last day of the month, making this November the second wettest month in a century for battered Chennai. Two weather systems that have merged on Monday are likely to bring heavy rain again over the already ravaged parts of the State. The troughs of low pressure over Bay of Bengal near South Andaman Sea and Sri Lanka Coast have moved and lie over southwest Bay of Bengal as one intense weather system.

This is expected to bring very heavy rainfall up to 125 mm in parts of coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and some areas of south Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While meteorologists and weather bloggers waited with bated breath for Chennai to break the centurys rainfall record, the city ended up with 1049.3 mm of rainfall on Monday due to a decrease in rain during the weekend.

Chennai had recorded 1088.4 mm in November 1918, which still holds the record for the wettest month in the century. Heavy rains started pounding other coastal areas from Sunday, which was evident from volume recorded at several weather stations.


On Monday till 8.30 am, Kodavasal in Tiruvarur district received the highest volume of 120 mm and Marakkanam in Villupuram district 100 mm and many other places up to 90mm of rains in single day, aggravating the woes of residents.


Rains seemed to have slightly receded on Monday with weather stations such as Tiruttani and Neyveli receiving an average of 20mm till 8.30 p.m. Chennai will continue to receive a few spells of rain or thundershowers, heavy at times for two more days. The Meteorological department expects a decrease in rainfall from Thursday.