Even as thundershowers drenched the city on Tuesday night, more rain is expected over the next week.
Meteorologists said a low pressure area is expected to form over the Bay of Bengal, northeast of Chennai by Monday. This will lead to several districts in northern parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, receiving normal to heavy rainfall.
Tuesday night’s showers helped cool the city, and brought the temperature down to 34.1 degree Celsius on Wednesday, a little lower than the average.
Meteorological department officials said a weak trough over the east coast of Tamil Nadu in the lower level of the atmosphere had triggered the showers.
The showers were heaviest in Chembarambakkam, where 15 cm of rainfall was recorded, followed by Poondi at 8 cm. The weather observatories in Nungambakkam received 4 cm, while those in Poonamallee and at the DGP office on Kamarajar Salai recorded 3 cm. Meenambakkam received just 2 cm.
Accompanied by thunder and lightning, the showers left several roads inundated and uprooted a few trees in various localities, including Thiruvanmiyur.
Delays in completing infrastructure projects in several areas also rendered roads slushy and unmotorable. Residents of 57 street, TVS Colony, Anna Nagar Western Extension, found it difficult to step out of their houses on Wednesday morning as the dug up, damaged stretches had turned slushy.
V. Rajagopal, a resident, said several in the area risked a fall on the road and that the authorities must take measures to repair the stretch.
The city’s reservoirs, its major drinking water sources, are in better shape following the spell of rain. Officials said nearly 100 million cubic feet of water was added to the water bodies, which is equal to three days of drinking water supply to Chennai.
Y.E.A. Raj, deputy director general of meteorology, regional meteorological centre, said that Chennai’s average rainfall during the southwest monsoon has increased from 35 cm to 44 cm. Since June 1, the city has so far recorded 42 cm, which is 9.1 cm more than the average received during this season. There is still a month to go before the southwest monsoon retreats, he said.
The meteorological department has forecast rain or thundershowers for some areas in the evening or night until Friday.
