MET office predicts more rains this week

With heavy rains lashing Chennai and several parts of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday night and Wednesday evening, the weather office has forecast more rains for the next 24-48 hours. 

According to the Met officials, this wet spell is due to two cyclonic circulations on either side of Peninsular India, one off the Andhra Pradesh coast in Bay of Bengal and another off coastal Karnataka in Arabian sea. 

Dr S Balachandran, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, said, “Rain is expected for the next two days. This is due to the Southwest monsoon that is moving in the north westerly direction. Though the Southwest monsoon is not climatically involved, it triggers the thunderstorms in Tamil Nadu, leading to rains.” 

According to Pradeep John, who blogs at Tamil Nadu Weatherman blog, these are normal convective rains, which happen only at evening or night associated with thunderstorms moving from inland.  “On June 7, the sea breeze which carries moisture enhanced the thunderstorm leading to heavy, short spell of intense rain. After 2011, June 8 this year received the second wettest day in June with 53 mm rainfall,” said this expert. 

Srikanth K, a weather blogger at Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkaalam (COMK), said the city could possibly be heading towards the highest total rainfall in June in the last 10 years. “June 2010 recorded 136 mm of rainfall while June 2014 recorded 96 mm. June 2016 looks to cross that. There is upper air circulation in Bay of Bengal but no surface level counterpart that is triggering these rains,” he concluded. Many Chennaiites have already complained of water logging on many roads and localities.