Moderate, sharp, and widespread rain accompanied by lightning and thunder swamped several parts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Friday night and early Saturday. Dark clouds hovered and overcast conditions prevailed all through the day. Vallam in Thanjavur district recorded 162 mm rainfall in 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Saturday.
In Thanjavur district areas such as Thanjavur town, Tiruvaiyaru, Grand Anicut, Thirukkattuppalli, Papanasam, Kumbakonam, Pattukkottai, Senthubavachatram, and Adirampattinam experienced heavy and sharp showers for just over two hours in the intervening night creating pools of water in low lying areas.
The accompanying gale wrought havoc on the betel vine yards on hundreds of acres of land in Tiruvaiyaru region. Similar was the case with banana groves across the district where many trees were uprooted to the dismay of farmers.
In Adirampattinam area, salt pans in scores of acres along the coast line had been affected. Coming at the peak of process, rains had greatly upset the calculations of the pan workers and owners.
In Tiruvarur district, heavy thunder storm drenched Tiruvarur town, Mannargudi, Nidamangalam, Kudavasal, and Muthupettai areas of the district affecting brick kiln work Valangaiman, Govindakudi, Chandrasekarapuram, and Nalloor areas.
The chief amount of rainfall (in mm) recorded in major centres in the two districts in the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Saturday included Thanjavur 60, Manalmedu 54, Papanasam 76, Kumbakonam 65, Anaikkarai 49.6, Nannilam 50.2, Kudavasal 74.8, Valangaiman 62.4, Tiruvarur 58, Mannargudi 78, Muthupettai 54.2, and Needamangalam 86.4.
