The southern districts of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, and Nagercoil have been battered with historic rainfall, that has inundated the territory like never before in thirty years. In the wake of an unabated downpour, the scale of rainfall that was recorded in some areas of these districts was as double as to what Chennai and its neighbours recorded earlier this month during the landfall of Cyclone Michaung. 

Thoothukudi is said to have badly affected with incessant rainfall as several parts of the district were swamped by the water. The visuals had shown waters everywhere and the struggle of the residents who have been bracing up an unprecedented disruption and a warning for more heavy spells of rainfall. According our sources, Kayalpattinam in Tirunelveli has recorded 93.2 centimetre of rainfall in a day and it is for the first time in three decades that such a scale of rainfall has been recorded. 

In 1992, Kakachi area of Tirunelveli has recorded 96.5 cm of rainfall and with a fresh warning that heavy rainfall would continue, residents fear that the current trend of rainfall would cross the 100 mark. In Thoothukudi, the Srivaikuntam area has received 479 mm of rainfall on Sunday, which has become the highest rainfall ever recorded in the plains of Tamil Nadu. 

On Sunday, Thoothukudi registered 95 cm of rainfall. The scale of rainfall has become one of the highest ever recorded in the district. Several areas including Tiruchendur, Sathankulam, Srivaikuntam, and Kovilpatti have received continuous spells of rainfall that resulted in destructions of farm lands, railway lines, and highways.

While some areas in these districts reported waist-deep water, the water level in some other areas was head-high and had submerged shops and basements. Many residents reported that the rainwater came into their residences, pushing them to get confined on the terrace. Most of these districts, that share borders with Bay of Bengal, resemble an island and it's becoming difficult for the authorities to pump out the stagnated water. 

Six points that you must know

• By 9 pm on Sunday, extreme heavy rainfall were recorded in southern regions including Srivaikuntam (479 mm), Kayalpattinam (369 mm), Tiruchendur (360 mm), Sathankulam (328 mm), and Kovilpatti (223 mm).
• Amidst a tumultuous atmosphere triggered by unabated rainfall, hundreds of people have been evacuated from the affected areas and have been put in temporary shelters. Several teams of NDRF and state forces are on the ground. 
• The flight and train services have largely got affected and several trains were cancelled on some of the popular routes of Tamil Nadu. Shockingly, about 1,000 passengers have got stranded in the train in Srivaikuntam. As they have got nowhere to go, the rescue teams have rushed to evacuate them. 
• While the residents are struggling to rebuild their lives, they are being warned about another spell of rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has given red alerts to the districts of Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Nagercoil. It is expected that heavy rainfall would continue till Tuesday. 
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Monday deployed ministers and bureaucrats to expedite the relief and rescue operations. The Chief Minister has also instructed District Collectors to keep relief centres and boats ready in affected areas to evacuate people. As many as 7,500 people have been evacuated and they are being sheltered in 84 relief camps. 
• Through the Common Alert Protocal, warning messages and alerts were sent to over six million people. On Monday, Tamil Nadu Minister Thangam Tennarasu visited a relief camp and took stock of the rescue operations. He further interacted with the affected people as the ruling DMK government is enduring another disastrous challenge after Cyclone Michaung that pummeled northern parts of the state including Chennai. 

If you are in emergency and need help, please reach out to these numbers

• State Disaster Management - 1070
• Medical emergency - 108
• Fire - 101 & 112 
• Disease related issues - 104 
• Complaints to EB - 9445854718