CHENNAI: The rainy spell that had brought relief to the city last week is expected to persist through the coming days.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai is projected to experience moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning as early as Monday evening, while the city and neighbouring districts, including Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Villupuram, as well as the Nilgiris in the Western Ghats region are likely to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday (August 19).

Explaining the prevailing synoptic conditions, VR Durai, head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre at RMC, said: “A well-marked low-pressure area persists over the northwest Bay of Bengal near Odisha and Jharkhand. Due to a wind convergence, a feeble trough along and off the Tamil Nadu coast continues in the lower tropospheric levels.”

These weather systems are expected to bring moderate rainfall, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds in isolated parts of the Western Ghats districts, Sivagangai, Madurai, and Ramanathapuram on Monday (August 17).

Similar conditions with strong gusty winds are likely across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry through Thursday (August 20). Light rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning has been predicted for isolated parts in the rest of Tamil Nadu through Tuesday (August 18).

Meanwhile, maximum temperatures are expected to hover above normal over north interior Tamil Nadu. On Monday, Chennai’s maximum temperature is expected to hover around 37 degrees Celsius, with the minimum dipping to around 27 degrees Celsius.