Coimbatore: The district recorded scattered rainfall through Thursday night, while catchment areas such as Cincona, Chinnakalar and Sholayar received more than 100mm showers. Though Mettupalayam recorded only 16mm rainfall, the water level in Pillur dam has increased markedly, forcing the district administration to sound a flood alert to the people living along the Bhavani river. A tree was, meanwhile, uprooted on Trichy Road, blocking traffic for almost half an hour.
While weather experts had forecast only light to moderate rainfall due to a trough that had formed along Maharashtra to Karnataka coast, heavy rain lashed the Western Ghats after the trough converged with a weather system that had formed over the Bay of Bengal. Hence, catchment areas of the dams located at the foothills of Western Ghats and hill stations, including Valparai, received 91mm rainfall.