Incessant rains that lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu under the influence of a low pressure over the last two days claimed 12 lives so far, besides inundating standing crops in thousands of hectares in several districts.

Reports received at the police headquarters in Chennai said the deceased included eight men, three women and a girl child.

Nagapattinam district recorded a maximum of three deaths, while Thanjavur and Villuppuram reported two deaths each. One death each was reported from Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Pudukkottai, Tiruchirapalli and Tuticorin districts.

A majority of deaths were caused by wall collapses.

Meanwhile, Chennai, which was battered by rain, received a record rainfall of 69.3 mm (Nungambakkam) and 77.9 mm (Meenambakkam airport) during the last 24 hours ending at 0830 hrs this morning. This was the highest recorded in the last 10 years, weather office sources said.

Officials described the rain received by the city as unprecedented, though the all-time record in the ''hot'' month of March considered as the beginning of the exasperating summer, was 88.1 mm recorded during the pre-Independence period on March 5, 1944.

However, people of this metropolis heaved a sigh of relief as they woke up to clear skies and bright sunshine.

The rains, which poured the whole of Friday and continued all through the night, abated this morning, though normal life was crippled in several parts of the city and suburbs, due to stagnation of rain water.