CHENNAI: Chennai is likely to receive spells of rain on Friday evening and through the night, while widespread southwest monsoon showers are expected across the Western Ghats and adjoining districts over the next two days, independent weather blogger Pradeep John said.
In a post on X, Pradeep John said, "Today and tomorrow are likely to be the best days for widespread Southwest Monsoon rains across the Western Ghats." He said widespread rainfall is expected in Kerala, Karnataka—especially the Cauvery catchment areas—and the hilly regions of Tamil Nadu, including Valparai, the Nilgiris, Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari.
The rainfall is expected to improve water availability in catchment areas and increase inflows into reservoirs. However, John cautioned that "it is unlikely to erase the overall water deficit, as the seasonal shortfall across many Western Ghats catchments remains substantial."
He warned that "the rest of August currently appears relatively inactive, with below-normal rainfall expected over much of the Southwest Monsoon catchments." August is usually one of the wettest months of the southwest monsoon and contributes significantly to reservoir inflows in the Western Ghats.
With the southwest monsoon having largely disappointed in June, John said a below-normal August "is the coffin in the nail for SWM after massive failure in June," underscoring concerns over the season's overall performance.
For Chennai, John said, "Chennai also has a good chance of seeing fast-moving spells of rain later this evening and into the night as moisture increases and passing convective clouds move across the region."