Tiruchengode, surrounding areas receive heavy rain

NAMAKKAL: Torrential rain battered Tiruchengode in and its surrounding places from Friday night till Saturday morning, flooding low-lying neighbourhoods and hampering traffic.Localities such as Pattarai Medu, Kavathi, Kootapalli, Manickampalayam, Mallasamudram, Thokkavadi and Elachipalayam saw heavy rain and thunder, lightning and strong winds.Traffic was affected due to water stagnation on the Tiruchengode–Salem Road. "Vehicles were rerouted, and some cars passing through the inundated section appeared to drift in the floodwater," said M Suresh, a resident.In low-lying pockets such as Kootapalli and Pattarai Medu, rainwater entered several houses, leaving residents distressed.Despite the disruption, rain brought welcome relief and cheer to the public and farmers who had been enduring intense heat.