Coastal areas of Tamil Nadu have been hit by continuous rainfall in the last 24 hours, leaving schools and colleges in Chennai shut on Monday. The toll from rain-related incidents has risen to 59 in the state, reported PTI. More rains are predicted in the next 24 hours, and the state government has ordered the evacuation of people living in low-lying areas.

Nagapattinam in coastal Tamil Nadu received the maximum rainfall, 18 cm, until 8.30 am. Puducherry recorded 11 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Dhanushkodi, Cuddalore and Coimbatore are other places which have been inundated.

The Hindu reported that the civic body in Chennai rescued almost 2,000 people on Sunday and that over 12,000 people attended organised medical camps. Though the Chennai Corporation staff cleared water in over 300 city areas, the number of flooded localities doubled in 24 hours. Many of the city’s residents have been stranded indoors.

The Indian Meteorological Department officials had earlier said that a low-pressure trough had formed in the Bay of Bengal and that it could intensify into a depression.