Battered by the torrential downpour, the worst is over for Chennai as the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, expected to bring extremely heavy rainfall, has moved towards Tirupati and Nellore in south coastal Andhra Pradesh.

With the weather gods sparring Chennai and neighbouring districts since Tuesday midnight, the public and the state government heaved a sigh of relief. Flood waters are yet to recede from many low-lying areas of the city and its suburbs with many residential localities remaining under knee deep water since up to 30 cm rainfall was there in many places, particularly in north Chennai.

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With the help of volunteers, who waded through nearly hip-deep water, the city corporation has distributed 3.25 lakh food packets to people in flood affected areas. At some places, drones were used to distribute food and medicines for the needy. Chief Minister MK Stalin has ordered that food be provided free of cost at the ‘Amma Canteens’ across the city till Thursday (October 18).

Even though the MET office is yet to withdraw the red alert for extreme heavy rainfall for today, independent weather experts have made it clear that the ‘worst is over for Chennai’. “The deep depression which lay around 450 km off Tamil Nadu coast is moving slowly towards Nellore in south coastal Andhra Pradesh. Weakened further, it would make landfall early Thursday morning but would not pose a grave threat with heavy rains which have subsided,” says Pradeep John, known as Tamil Nadu weatherman.

“Rain would be normal and isolated even when the deep depression makes landfall,” he added.

Concurring with him, Srikanth another weather blogger, in his update however, cautioned saying “Though the depression had moved and heavy rains have subsided, the North East monsoon had just begun and coastal Tamil Nadu is expected to experience widespread rains as a fresh low pressure area is likely to develop in the Arabian Sea in the next 2-3 days.”

The state government had declared a holiday on Wednesday for schools and colleges as well as government offices barring essential services. While private firms have been told to operate with minimal staff, IT employees have been advised to work from home. The Madras High Court too would remain shut as a holiday had been announced.

Among the interior districts, Madurai city, worst affected by heavy rains, is still limping back to normalcy.