Mild showers across the city in the early hours of Thursday heralded the arrival of the northeast monsoon.
However, the Indian Meteorological Department said it would wait a couple of days before announcing the onset of monsoon in the State.
A cyclonic circulation over interior Tamil Nadu and adjoining Kerala resulted in showers in the city and suburbs. Though the weather observatories in Nungam- bakkam and Meenambakkam recorded less than one cm of rainfall during the day, overnight showers brought down the temperature to 33 degrees Celsius.
“The wind direction has changed to easterlies. This is an initial sign of the northeast monsoon. We have to wait for consistency of the weather pattern and other favourable conditions like moisture content to declare the onset,” said S. Thampi, deputy director general of meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai.
Normally, the northeast monsoon sets in around October 20, and is crucial to the city as it contributes to nearly 87 cm of the yearly rainfall of 140 cm.
The setting in of the monsoon has many city residents worried about the state of dug-up roads. Residents of Padikuppam Road in Thirumangalam suffer every day as a portion of the road has been unpaved for several months now.
Residents said the ongoing work to provide underground drainage network to the area was progressing at a snail’s pace.
Though several representations had been made to Metrowater and the Chennai Corporation, the portion of the road where the work had been completed was yet to be blacktopped.
