Chennai, Dec 24 (IANS): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather warning for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, forecasting light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms in several areas over the next few days.
In a statement on Tuesday, the IMD attributed the rain and thunderstorms to a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.
The deep depression was located approximately 500 km east of Chennai and was moving southwestward as of Monday. The system is expected to weaken as it shifts southward and makes landfall near the delta districts of Tamil Nadu on December 26. After making landfall, the weather system will likely move across Tamil Nadu and head toward the Arabian Sea.
Chennai, Puducherry, and Karaikal are expected to receive light to moderate rain with thunderstorms during this period. Chennai and its surrounding areas are likely to experience moderate rainfall on December 24 and 25, with light fog in some locations during the early morning hours.
The IMD further predicted widespread rain across Tamil Nadu on December 26 and 27 as the cyclonic system continued to influence the region.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued a third-level cyclone alert for seven ports in Tamil Nadu -- Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ennore, Kattupalli, Puducherry, and Karaikal. The alert comes in response to a low-pressure system over the central western Bay of Bengal, which has weakened into a depression. Strong winds and rain are expected till December 25 as the system moves west-southwest toward the southwest Bay of Bengal, near the coasts of northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh.
It is worth recalling the destruction caused by Cyclone Fengal, which struck Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1. The cyclone claimed 12 lives and inundated 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, causing significant losses to farmers. Cyclone Fengal also caused extensive infrastructure damage.
It is noteworthy that Tamil Nadu has been experiencing heavy rain due to the ongoing northeast monsoon, which has brought 14 per cent excess rainfall this season. The state recorded 447 mm of rainfall against an average of 393 mm. Chennai witnessed 845 mm of rainfall (16 per cent above average), while Coimbatore registered a 47 per cent increase.