Sudden showers lashed many parts of Vellore town including the Benguluru Highway (NH: 48) and neighbouring big towns like Ambur, Gudiyatham, Walajah, Ranipet town, Chengam, Polur and Jolarpet on Friday.
Heavy downpours with strong winds, which lasted since Friday afternoon in major towns covering Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, and Tiruvannamalai districts, brought much-needed relief for the residents, who have been reeling due to soaring temperatures that reached over 40 degrees Celsius for the past few days. Low-lying areas like Sampath Nagar and Kansalpet in Vellore, which used to get inundated to knee-deep during the monsoon, received heavy showers for at least two hours on Friday. Frequent power cuts were reported in many areas of these districts as heavy showers with strong winds uprooted many trees on the highways and interior roads in these districts. “We have been experiencing severe heat since April. Sudden downpour is a big relief for us,” said S. Padma, a resident of Vellore.
Among the four districts such as Vellore, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, and Ranipet, Tirupattur has received the highest rainfall since Thursday night with a total rainfall of 159.20 mm, followed by Ranipet with 47.60 mm. Among major towns, ACS Mill near Tirupattur town received the highest rainfall of 110 mm, followed by Ambur (Tirupattur) with 47.20 mm of rainfall as of 6 a.m. on Friday. Areas like Arani, Jamunamarathur (Jawadhu Hills), Polur, Tiruvannamalai town, Kilpennathur, and Kalasapakkam in Tiruvannamalai district received good rainfall. In Vellore, areas like Pernambut, Gudiyatham, Katpadi, Vellore Old Town, Bagayam and Sathuvachari witnessed sudden showers on Friday.
Of the seven taluks in Ranipet district, Walajah received the highest rainfall of 18.20 mm as of 6 a.m. on Friday. Major towns in the district, like Arcot, Walajah, Ammoor, Kalavai, and Palar Anaicut, received good rainfall. Likewise, Ambur, Natrampalli, Alangayam, Madhanur, and Kandali witnessed strong winds with heavy showers on Friday.
Crops were extensively damaged in farming areas like Nemili, Arani, Polur, and Kalasapakkam in Tiruvannamalai; Gudiyatham and Anaicut in Vellore; and Walajah and Nemili in Ranipet. Officials of the Department of Agriculture will assess the extent of crop damage in rain-affected areas in these districts in the coming days, revenue officials said.
