CHENNAI: Light to moderate rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, is likely in Chennai during evening and night hours on Friday, said the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC).

Across north coastal Tamil Nadu, the delta districts, Puducherry, and the Karaikal region, scattered light-to-moderate showers with gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour are expected to continue till August 1.

The rainfall activity is driven by a feeble trough persisting along and off the Tamil Nadu coast in the lower tropospheric levels.

Heavy rainfall alongside gusty winds are likely at isolated places in the Nilgiris, Theni, Kanniyakumari, and the Ghat regions of Coimbatore and Tirunelveli over the next couple of days. Isolated light rain accompanied by thunderstorms is expected across the remainder of Tamil Nadu until August 1.

On August 2, moderate rain is forecasted for isolated areas in the Western Ghats districts, while light showers will persist in other parts of the State, Puducherry, and Karaikal. From August 3 to August 5, light to moderate rainfall will continue in north coastal Tamil Nadu, the delta region, and the Western Ghats, with light rain expected elsewhere.

The maximum temperature in interior Tamil Nadu is likely to remain 2 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal on Friday, while the rest of the region will experience near-normal temperatures till August 5. In Chennai, the maximum temperature is expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will be 26 degrees Celsius.

Madurai Airport recorded the highest maximum temperature in Tamil Nadu at 39 degrees Celsius, whereas Udhagamandalam recorded the lowest minimum at 12.8 degrees Celsius on Friday.