Chennai cloudburst? More than 15 flights delayed after heavy rain crosses 100mm in an hour | VIDEO

Following a heat spell in Chennai over the past few days, rainfall suddenly intensified in the state late on Saturday night, with local meteorologists calling it a cloudburst.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chennai's Manali area and its surrounding districts—now issued with a red alert—were primarily affected by cloudburst-like rain.

Heavy rain lashed various places in Chennai including Vadapalani, Guindy, Kodambakkam, Kolathur, Kasimedu, Valasaravakkam, Thandaiyarpet, and Puzhal. Suburban areas like Ambattur, Korattur, Kathivakkam, and Thiruvettyur were also hit.

Although the IMD has not explicitly called it a cloudburst, 6 rain spells in various parts of the state crossed the 100mm/hour mark, meeting the criteria for a cloudburst as defined by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

Various low-lying areas in Chennai were waterlogged as the city received more than 100mm of rain in an hour. Manali received the highest rainfall of 160mm, followed by Korattur with 130mm.

More than 15 flights into various parts of Tamil Nadu were delayed. 4 inbound domestic flights were also forced to return due to inclement weather, a local media report said.

The sudden rains can be attributed to the southwest monsoon winds currently circulating in Kerala, which brought on rainfall in western Tamil Nadu, as well as hilly areas in the interior of the state, the report added.

The IMD has also predicted light to moderate rainfall over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, in addition to strong winds reaching 40-50km/h.

Cloudbursts, which are sudden, intense spells of rain over a particular area, have wrought havoc on various parts of north India this year, such as Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar, Ramban, and Chashoti, as well as Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi.