– Heavy Rains and Flooding in South India

From Yahoo News:

Nearly 50,000 people were evacuated to higher ground as rains intensified in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu, while a key airport in neighboring Andhra Pradesh state was shut down because of flooding.

“Some of the low-lying areas have been marooned. Transportation has also been disrupted in several places. People are being shifted to higher places,” a top official in the Tamil Nadu relief commissioner’s office said.

Officials said 56 people have died in the rains in Tamil Nadu, while another 26 have lost their lives in the southwestern state of Karnataka.

The Karnataka state government has called on the army for help as the driving rain has caused breaches in the state’s Cauvery River, leading to floods in some areas.

Weather officials said the rains had been caused by a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal which was likely to stay put over the next two days.

Gale winds were also expected to lash the region. State authorities have warned fishermen not to venture out to sea.

Till two weeks ago, Chennaites were complaining about the heat and taps that yielded no water. When the rains started on Tuesday, many faces in Chennai had a smile.
But on Wednesday, everything had gone haywire in the city. With the downpour showing no signs of letting up after nearly 24 hours, North Chennai, the poorer part of the state capital and the relatively hipper suburbs of south Chennai have both been inundated.

Bangalore:

Indian commuters cross a flooded road in Bangalore. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as heavy rains lashed southern India for the third straight day, triggering floods, an official said.(AFP/Dibyangshu Sarkar)