Chennai’s Foxconn’s iPhone production has been halted at its site in south India on Monday, in the aftermath of heavy rain. The sources claim that Foxconn has not yet determined whether to resume production on Tuesday.

Pegatron also ceased manufacturing Apple iPhones at its plant near Chennai due to the heavy rains.

Furthermore, two states in the South were preparing for a powerful hurricane that was predicted to arrive in less than a day. Today’s heavy rains caused at least two fatalities and flooded a runway at one of the busiest airports in India.

According to the Indian weather office, Cyclone Michaung is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning along the coast of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The storm is expected to bring with it constant winds of 90–100 kph (56–62 mph), with gusts as high as 110 kph.

Several accounts at the time stated that an electrical switch left on after the devices were tested during assembly caused a short circuit, which resulted in the fire.

The central city region of Chennai recorded wind speeds of 71 kmph, while the wind near the airport reached 88 kmph.

Numerous locations in Chennai and the surrounding regions are undergoing rescue and evacuation efforts, coordinated by the local government.

Foxconn and Pegatron in Chennai

Pegatron has been forced to halt production for the second time in as many months. A fire mishap in September caused the Pegatron operation to close for three days.

On Tuesday, December 5, the corporation has not yet decided whether to resume manufacturing. At its facility, Foxconn employs up to 35,000 people, thus the stoppage might have a significant impact on iPhone production.
Pegatron is assembling the Apple iPhone 14 Plus and 15 Plus models. Given that these models typically cost $1000, the result of a day’s shutdown would be the production of $20 million less phones.

As per the report sent to Reuters by C. Muthukumaran, joint director of the state disaster management department, two individuals were killed in Tamil Nadu when a wall collapsed in the Chengalpattu area.

Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu and a significant hub for electronics and manufacturing, had cars washed from the streets by floodwater. The weather forced the busiest airport in the state to close for the day.

Even as government machinery was being sent in to clear the stagnant water and inundation, several portions of Chennai and the surrounding districts of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur were submerged.

Cyclone Michaung near Chennai

In Chennai and the nearby Tamil Nadu regions, the heavy rain completely disrupted daily life. Streets are flooded, runways at airports and railroads are underwater as a result of the rain during cyclonic storm “Michaung,” which was close to Puducherry and Chennai.

Originating from the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Michaung has strengthened into a cyclonic storm and is now near Chennai.

The city is at a complete standstill due to the intense downpour in Michaung. Five people were listed as killed in rain-related incidents in the city as of the most recent update.

The storm is predicted by the meteorological service to travel toward the coast of Andhra Pradesh during the course of the next 24 hours.

Due to the expected severe rainfall on Tuesday, the MK Stalin government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Chennai.

On December 5, the state administration asked private businesses to permit their workers to work from home in the impacted areas.

A Reuters witness reported that there had been many power outages since the morning and that portions of the city were submerged up to the knees in water. According to a government notification, banks, offices, institutions, and schools in at least four districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, closed on Monday and Tuesday owing to bad weather.

The airport operations in Chennai were halted from 9.40 am till 11 pm. Rain was falling nonstop, canceling up to 70 planes that were scheduled to arrive at and depart from the airport.

The Airport Authority of India was cited by PTI as stating that the tarmac and runway are still closed as a result of waterlogging.