Chennai residents can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now, as the intensity of the monsoon rain is expected to lessen over the next couple of days. This respite from the downpour is due to the shifting of monsoon activity towards southern Tamil Nadu. However, the respite is temporary, as a low-pressure system is brewing over the Bay of Bengal and is projected to move towards the Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka coast by November 12th. This could bring a resurgence of heavy rainfall to Chennai and the surrounding districts.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for the upcoming rainfall. A yellow alert has been issued for Chennai, Chengalpet, and Kancheepuram districts for November 12th and 13th, anticipating heavy rainfall of 6cm to 12cm in 24 hours at isolated locations. Tiruvallur district has been placed under an orange alert for November 12th, with heavy to very heavy rainfall, ranging from 12cm to 20cm in 24 hours, expected. However, the intensity of the rain is likely to reduce in Tiruvallur on November 13th.
While Chennai enjoys a brief respite, the rest of the state is anticipated to face heavy rains. The yellow alert has been extended to eight coastal and adjoining districts for November 12th and further extended to 19 districts on November 13th.
According to an IMD bulletin, over the next 48 hours, Chennai and its suburbs can expect light to moderate rainfall, along with thunderstorms and lightning in some areas. The sky is expected to be partly cloudy, with maximum and minimum temperatures hovering around 32°C-33°C and 25°C-26°C respectively.
After two days of wet weather, Friday saw the sun making an appearance in Chennai. The Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam observatories recorded day temperatures of 31.9°C and 32.4°C, respectively. While some light spells of rain were observed in the afternoon, leaving traces in the city’s rain gauges, they were significantly lighter than the previous day’s downpour. On Thursday, intermittent spells resulted in 11cm of rainfall in Manali and 10cm in Madhavaram.
Commenting on the changing weather pattern, blogger Pradeep John stated, “Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, and Tiruvallur got a good break today (Friday) after two days of rainfall. Rain will be back around Nov 12.”
As of January 1st, the Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam weather stations have recorded 125cm and 115cm of rainfall respectively. To reach their annual averages of 140cm and 138cm, these stations need less than 25cm of rainfall. Since October 1st, Chennai has received 43cm of rainfall, exceeding the average by about 9%. Tamil Nadu recorded 25cm of rainfall during the same period, showing a 7% surplus.
Chennai residents, while enjoying the current break from the heavy rains, should be prepared for the return of heavy rainfall by next week. Stay updated with the latest weather forecasts from the IMD for more details on the approaching rain.
