Incessant rain lashed many parts of Vellore and neighbouring towns, such as Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Arani, Gudiyatham, Tiruvannamalai, Chengam, Polur, and Tirupattur, since Wednesday.
The heavy downpour, which continued in the early hours on Thursday, brought much needed relief to residents as they have been reeling under the sun for the past few weeks. Primary schools alone were shut in the district on Thursday following a direction from Vellore Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian.
Low-lying areas, such as Sampath Nagar and Kansalpet in Vellore, were inundated in the showers. Key stretches, including the service lanes of Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 44) and Chittoor-Cuddalore Highway, were waterlogged. Frequent power cuts, especially on Wednesday night, were also reported in many areas due to heavy rain with strong winds.
