Districts in north Tamil Nadu can expect heavy showers from Dec 7

CHENNAI: After dry weather experienced in the State for the past few days, northern coastal Tamil Nadu is likely to receive heavy rain from December 7 due to low-pressure over Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours.

The meteorological department has issued a warning to suspend fishing activity during the same period.

A trough in easterlies runs from the Comorin area to north Kerala coast at 0.9 km above mean sea level. A low-pressure area is likely to form over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea on Monday. It’s likely to move northwest and concentrate into a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal by December 7. Later, it’s expected to reach southwest Bay of Bengal near north TN-Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by Thursday.

“As the low-pressure area is likely to strengthen into depression on December 7, and it’d move forward without weakening into low-pressure. So, heavy rain with strong wind to occur over northern coastal districts of TN – Chennai, Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur, and Tiruvarur from Wednesday. The intense spell is expected to continue until the system prevails over the sea,” said P Senthamarai Kannan, scientist E, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai.

For the last few days, Chennai and its suburbs witnessed haze in the early morning hours due to northerly winds. However, as the wind direction changed for the city, the maximum and minimum temperatures were average 31-degree and 25-degree Celsius.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea during the next 48 hours, as squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is likely to prevail over Gulf of Mannar and along and off Tamil Nadu N-Puducherry coast, and southwest Bay of Bengal.

In the last 24 hours, Tirunelveli received highest rainfall with 5 cm. Mayiladathurai and Sivaganga had 4 cm respectively. Thanjavur, Cuddalore, Madurai, Salem and Ramanathapuram received 3 cm of rainfall each.