The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu until January 14. In Chennai, the Regional Meteorological Centre or RMC has warned of widespread rains, thunder and chances of lightning until early Friday. The rains are mainly due to the presence of a cyclonic circulation laying off Sri Lanka coast over the Bay of Bengal, a Twitter update by IMD stated on January 11.
The IMD has also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu from January 12 to 8:30 am of January 13 and heavy rains for January 13. Following this, the current easterly wave will weaken, thereby reducing rainfall in the state post January 14.
Very heavy rainfall has been reported at Adirampattinam in Thanjavur district (13.5cm) of Tamil Nadu. Heavy rainfall has been reported over Ariyalur (10cm), Nagapattinam (8 cm) and Karaikal (6.3 cm) during 0830 hrs IST of 11th Jan to 0530 hrs IST of 12th January, according to IMD’s tweets.
On January 11, the IMD put out a tweet thread explaining the cause of the rainfall. “Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over southwest Bay of Bengal off Sri Lanka coast in lower tropospheric levels, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls and moderate thunderstorm & lightning very likely over Tamil Nadu Puducherry & Karaikal, Kerala & Mahe and Lakshadweep during next 3 days and significant decrease in rainfall activity over these regions thereafter,” the tweets read.
A daily weather report by the IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in two districts of Tamil Nadu – Cuddalore and Ramanathapuram – for January 12. Heavy rainfall in 12 districts namely Dindigul, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinm, Karaikal and Mayiladuthurai.
Source: The News Minute