IMD maintains orange alert for southern, north coastal districts
With the rain-bearing weather system moving closer to the Tamil Nadu coast, the State is expected to get significant rainfall in several areas till the weekend. This follows the onset of the northeast monsoon earlier this week.
According to the Meteorological Department, the low-pressure area has moved westward and now lies over southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lankan coast. It may continue to move further westwards towards the Tamil Nadu coast and influence fairly widespread rain till Sunday.
The Department has maintained its orange alert for southern Tamil Nadu and north coastal districts for Friday and for the delta districts and southern parts on Saturday and Sunday, as very heavy rain, up to an intensity of 24.4 cm, may strike in one or two places.
In the past 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Thursday, Kadambur in Thoothukudi district recorded 9 cm — the highest in the State for the day. Several weather stations and rain gauges in the State, including Udhagamandalam, Nagercoil, Puzhal and Valparai, recorded light rain during the day till 5.30 p.m.
Officials of the Meteorological Department said four districts — Ramanathapuram, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi — would receive scattered heavy rain, and the intensity may increase in one or two places on Friday.
Ten districts, including Madurai, Tiruvallur, Chennai and Sivaganga, may get heavy rain in a few places. A similar weather pattern may continue till the weekend and heavy rain may be restricted to one or two places in the coastal parts on Monday.
S. Balachandran, deputy director general of Meteorology, Chennai, said the slow-moving system would be more intense in the southern part of the State. A trough extending from the weather system and aligning along the coast may bring moderate rain at many places.
The rain spell may last till the month-end. Chennai is likely to receive heavy rain on Friday, he said.
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