MUMBAI/CHENNAI (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., BMW AG and Renault SA were among manufacturers that halted production at their factories in India as monsoon rains lashed the southern city of Chennai, flooding many neighborhoods and disrupting public transport.
Ford said it closed its largest Indian plant today as employees were unable to reach work as many of the city’s low-lying areas were inundated. BMW also shut down its operations for the day, while a spokeswoman for Renault said the French automaker canceled two production shifts.
This is the second stoppage in a month caused by heavy showers as the city witnessed a record 48 inches of precipitation in November, according to weather forecaster Skymet. The northeast monsoon that typically sets between October and December over India’s east coast, where Chennai is located, is usually accompanied by cyclones and depressions.
The city, a local hub for many manufacturers of vehicles and manufacturers of auto components, is also home to factories of Hyundai Motor Co., Ashok Leyland Ltd. and Daimler AG’s truck business.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai forecasts extremely heavy rain in the city over the next four days.
