Chennai, Aug 3 (IANS): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain in the interior areas of Tamil Nadu while light to moderate showers are expected in the state capital Chennai till August 5.

A senior officer with the IMD told IANS: "There will be a light to moderate rain till August 5 in most parts of Tamil Nadu and Southwest monsoon has intensified and that there is an upper circulation in the atmosphere over coastal Tamil Nadu. There was a shear zone where the easterlies and the westerlies meet over the central region and this zone is likely to move towards the north direction in the next few days."

The officer said that this would lead to heavy rain in Theni, Dindigul, Coimbatore, and Tirupur districts and very heavy rain in Coimbatore and The Nilgiris.

In the next couple of days, light to moderate rains is likely over some places in Chennai and adjacent areas. It is to be noted that since June 1, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have received an excess of 94 per cent rain.

Meanwhile, Chennai witnessed heavy rains on Wednesday morning bringing traffic blocks on all the main roads. With the IMD predicting heavy to very heavy rains, the water resources department has taken initiative to look after the water flow into the major dams of the state.

--IANS