The Tamil Nadu government has announced a public holiday in the districts of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, due to the cyclonic storm Michaung. The Negotiable Instruments Act of 1881 has been invoked to declare the day off as public holiday. Due to the severe weather in the state, all schools, colleges, educational institutions, and government offices—including those of boards, public undertakings/corporations, banks, and financial institutions—will be closed in the four districts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu.
However, all essential services, such as police, fire service, local bodies, milk supply, water supply, hospitals and medical shops, power supply, transport, fuel outlets, hotels and restaurants, etc., and the offices engaged in disaster response, relief and rescue activities, shall function as usual.
The Tamil Nadu Government has asked people to take precautionary measures as the Indian Meteorological Department has sounded a Red alert in the state. The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and neighbouring areas.
According to the most recent information provided by the IMD, at 8:30 a.m. on December 4, roughly 90 km east-northeast of Chennai, cyclonic storm “Michaung” strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm. The north coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is expected to see heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on December 4 and 5, according to the IMD. On December 4 and 5, it is predicted to rain light to moderately in most places, heavy to very heavy in a few places, and extremely heavy in isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam.
Public life is severely affected in Chennai due to heavy rains lashing several parts of the city. Several areas, including Wallajah Road, Mount Road, Anna Salai, Chepauk, outside Omandurar government multispecialty hospital and other low-lying areas, were left inundated due to the persistent heavy rainfall.