If things go well, the northeast monsoon might just leave a mark over the city before wrapping up this year. Meteorologists expect a low pressure area to develop into a depression over the Bay of Bengal.
The weather system brewing over the bay may bring down the deficit of rainfall for the city this season. Chennai has received 614.4 mm of rainfall, which is less by 20 per cent than the average for the northeast monsoon.
According to the meteorological department, there is a fair possibility of the system intensifying into a cyclonic storm by December 27. There are two troughs at present — one over the area south of Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal, and another over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining Sri Lanka and southwest Bay of Bengal.
Chennai pins its hope on what could be the final rain spell for the monsoon this year, to overcome the lack of rainfall and tackle the looming water crisis during summer next year. The four water bodies catering to the city’s drinking water needs have a reserve of less than 30 per cent of their total capacity. Continuous flow of Krishna water from Andhra Pradesh has helped maintain the storage at the same level.
R. Suresh, director of the Aerodrome Meteorological Centre, Meenambakkam, said: “As of now, weather models forecast chances of sporadic rains over Chennai, Puducherry and Tiruchi between December 26 and 29. We have to wait to see how much more rains materialise, depending on the direction and intensity of the weather system.”
Weather bloggers in the city, too, feel this year may end with surplus rainfall for the State. Pradeep John, a weather blogger, said northern parts of the State have a chance of receiving good rains after Christmas. Chennai has witnessed cyclones during December-end in previous years, the most recent one being cyclone Thane in 2011.
The meteorological department predicts isolated light rainfall in some areas on Thursday too.
