Lightning In Chennai Draws ‘Thor’ Comparisons As Sky Turns Purple

With the onset of the northeast monsoon, Chennai received heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning. Amid the downpour, the lightning struck in the middle of the night and painted the sky in a mind-blowing purple hue. Videos of the moment have gone viral, with one clip from Sholinganallur showing a bolt striking a building. The video starts with a flash of lightning before the scene is illuminated in bright purple for a few seconds. As the lightning decreases, the camera records a captivating scene where droplets slide on the window surface.

The video has received more than 3 lakh views on the social media platform with users showering praise for the magnificent and powerful display of lightning.

A user commented, “Wonderful click”.

Another one said, “Looks like the movie “War of the Worlds” scene where Aliens enter Earth through the lightning.”

A user, probably an Avengers fan, stated, “Seems the thunder god. @thorofficial (sic) has arrived with his #Mjölnir (sic).”

“Wow that was some lightning strike. Brilliant capture in slow motion,” read a comment.

“Omg cinematic and scary,” read another comment.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chennai and neighbouring districts are likely to witness thunderstorms and heavy rains, and has advised people to avoid venturing out on waterlogged and slippery roads. An Orange alert was in place for October 15 and a Red alert for October 16 implying that there would be stormy weather.

A low-pressure area that developed over the southeast Bay of Bengal on October 14, will further develop into a depression and may move northwest towards the northern part of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and southern Andhra Pradesh. This system is also contributing to the predicted intensified rainfall towards the later part of the week.

To avert this, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has toured flood-prone regions and directed authorities to put in place disaster preparedness mechanisms in anticipation of rains, reported the Economic Times. All schools and colleges have also been shut down and it is recommended that office employees should continue to work from home till October 18.

In the upcoming days, cloudy and rainy weather is expected in Chennai with the forecast temperatures ranging between 26°C and 33°C.