Tamil Nadu is likely to receive heavy rain in 27 districts on Friday, with six districts placed under an orange alert for very heavy rain as the northeast monsoon began across the state and other southern regions, according to the Chennai Meteorological Centre.
The orange alert covers the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Dindigul, Tenkasi and Madurai districts. The weather office said these areas could receive very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds. A low-pressure area was reported over the region extending from the southern coastal parts of Tamil Nadu towards areas beyond the Odisha coast over the northwest Bay of Bengal.
The weather office said heavy rain, along with thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds, could also occur in Erode, Tiruppur, Virudhunagar, Kanyakumari, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Karur, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Villupuram, Pudukkottai, Tiruchirappalli, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Ranipet, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur, as well as Puducherry. Other parts of Tamil Nadu may receive moderate rain with thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds.
Chennai and its suburban areas are expected to remain partly cloudy, with moderate rain and thunderstorms possible in some locations. The forecast has immediate implications for road travel, low-lying neighbourhoods, drainage systems and electricity supply in areas that receive intense rainfall.
The Chennai Meteorological Centre recorded the highest rainfall in the state on Thursday at Thogamalai in Karur district and Thiruvengadu in Mayiladuthurai district, with 11 centimetres each. Panapakkam in Ranipet district, Nagapattinam, and Tharangambadi and Marudappallam in Mayiladuthurai district recorded 9 centimetres each.
The weather office said the southwest monsoon had completely withdrawn from Tamil Nadu as of Thursday morning, allowing the northeast monsoon to begin across Tamil Nadu and other southern states. The state received 21 per cent less rainfall than normal during this year’s southwest monsoon, according to the report. It said southern and delta districts could receive above-normal rainfall during the northeast monsoon, while northern districts may receive below-normal rainfall and coastal districts may record rainfall near normal levels.
The forecast also cited higher land temperatures and frequent changes in sea currents as factors considered in estimating the long-term northeast monsoon outlook. Temperatures were reported to be around 3 degrees Celsius above normal because of El Nino conditions. The weather centre said northeast monsoon rainfall in Tamil Nadu has nevertheless been high during previous El Nino periods, while the formation of low-pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal could be less frequent. It said a low-pressure area may form about a week after the onset of the monsoon.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sengottaiyan reviewed monsoon preparedness at the emergency control centre in Chennai’s Ezhilagam on Thursday, along with officials from the weather office, police, Navy and disaster management departments. He said arrangements had been made to provide food supplies through the relevant departments and that preventive measures were being taken based on damage recorded during earlier events.
The minister said authorities were reviewing arrangements to protect residents in Chennai and other coastal districts during flooding. Measures were also being taken to prevent waterlogging on roads and power interruptions, he said. Senior officials and ministers in charge have been assigned to all 15 zones in Chennai, with instructions for increased vigilance during the current weather conditions.
