Continuous rainfall in Haa Dhaalu atoll Kulhudhuffushi caused severe flooding in the island leading to the closure of schools on Tuesday, the Island Office has said. Officials from the Kulhudhuffushi Island Office said yesterday afternoon that 25 houses in the island had reported being flooded during the storm and that in some houses the kitchens had flooded so bad that it was impossible to cook in there. The severe storm had struck the island on Monday and accompanied with strong winds the rain had poured non-stop. However, except for the flooding no other damages or incidents had been reported. The four schools in the islands had also been closed down in the afternoon due to the bad weather. The schools would open when the weather improved, officials from the schools said. Members of the Maldives National Defence Force and residents of the island began work on pumping out the flood waters yesterday afternoon. The National Meteorological Centre has forecasted more rainfall and strong winds during the next 12 hours. The Centre cautioned seafaring vessels to keep a watch on the weather.