Cyclone Ditvah: Chennai schools and colleges closed today as heavy rains continue; University exams postponed

Schools and colleges across Chennai will remain closed on Wednesday, December 3, as heavy rains continue to disrupt normal life in the city. Following a similar bandh on December 2, the order was issued by Chennai District Collector Rashmi Siddharth Zagade.

Neighboring Tiruvallur district has also declared holiday in all schools, while educational institutions in Chengalpattu remained closed on December 2 due to rain.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted very heavy rain in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram till afternoon. Waterlogging is being reported in many low-lying areas of South Chennai and civic teams are installing pumps to remove the stagnant water.

Madras University examinations postponed

Madras University has postponed all UG, PG and professional degree theory examinations scheduled to be held today. In a notification issued by Registrar Professor Rita John, the university said that the new dates will be announced soon. Students appearing in the November 2025 examinations are advised to follow the official updates.

Alert issued in western and southern districts

For December 4, IMD has issued an orange alert for Coimbatore, Erode and Nilgiris, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall. There is a yellow alert for Salem, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. No significant rainfall is expected in other parts of the state.

The current episode is associated with a weak deep depression associated with Cyclone Ditvaha over the Bay of Bengal, which is moving towards the Chennai-Puducherry coast, causing intermittent rain over many districts.

Officials are closely monitoring the situation and have urged residents to exercise caution.