A short (less than 20 minute) spell of rain has wreaked major havoc in Chennai this evening.
I left work early today, hoping to go home before the (by now) usual evening showers. But luck definitely wasn’t on my side. 2 minutes out of office, I get drenched in the downpour. But being who I am, a lover of the rains, and intrepid biker, I kept going.
Riding a bike in the rain is both exhilarating and frustrating. For one, the buffeting winds and stinging drops of water keep hit you till your skin’s numb. But the cold of the water on your face makes for a refreshing change from the dull, dreariness of the office.

But, to the news

On Duraiswamy salai, a huge outdoor hoarding, set on top of a house, has been uprooted from its moorings. The sight is awesome. I unfortunately had no camera with me, (a pity). Thick iron bars and concrete blocks that held the billboard in place has been torn off its feet, and played around by the wind like a thin sheet of paper. The said hoarding, on top of a house, has considerably damaged the house and blocked traffic on Duraiswamy salai (on the West Mamabalam side of the subway)

Now, that isn’t the only thing – all along my route home, trees and electric poles have been uprooted and played with like so much hay. Nearer Vadapalani, a tree has blocked up East Sivan koil street, and Police have been diverting traffic around.

Update: Here’s thr Hindu story on the hoarding-crash