RMC issues orange alert for Chennai and neighbouring districts
The low pressure area over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman Sea moved west-northwestwards and lay over Southeast Bay of Bengal on Thursday.
Visuals from Chennai (Photo: Justin George)
CHENNAI: The Regional Meteorological Centre on Thursday, said that the rains for Chennai and the neighbouring districts is likely to continue on Friday and Saturday. The low pressure area over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman Sea moved west-northwestwards and lay over Southeast Bay of Bengal on Thursday.
"It is expected to move in the west-northwest direction and concentrate into a Depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal on Sunday. It is expected to reach North Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coasts around the early morning of 04th December as a cyclonic storm, " said Dr S Balachandran, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology of Regional Meteorological Center.
"Under the prevailing weather conditions, heavy rainfall can be expected in the Chennai and neighbouring districts until December 4th, " he added.
The yellow warning has been issued on 2nd December for Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, and Villupuram and heavy rain is likely to occur.
Orange alert has been forecast for Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Thiruvarur as heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in these districts. Meanwhile, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Sivagangai.
In the past 24 hours until Thursday, Thiruvallur received the highest amount of 19 cm of rainfall, followed by 15 cm in Chennai and 14 cm in Nagapattinam. Meanwhile, the water outflow from Chembarambakkam lake that was initially at 6,000 cusecs in the morning, was reduced to 4,000 cusecs in the afternoon.
The lake is currently at above 89 percent storage. About 1500 cusecs of surplus water was released from the reservoir, and warning text messages were issued to 5.23 lakh people living in low lying areas. From 8.00 am onwards on Thursday, 2000 cusecs of excess water was released from Puzhal reservoir.
A warning was issued to fishermen living in coastal areas to return to the shore and not to go fishing in the sea, and a warning to the general public about storms are being given immediately through 437 warning systems set up in coastal areas.
