A well-marked low pressure area that has a probability of becoming a cyclonic storm could bring rain to northern parts of the State, including Chennai, this weekend.
Officials of the India Meteorological Department said coastal regions would begin to get rainfall from Friday and there would be an increase in rainfall during the weekend.
The well-marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean is likely to become a deep depression by Friday and move towards south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coast by Saturday.
S. Balachandran, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said one or two places in north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry may get heavy to very heavy rainfall, up to 24.4 cm, during the weekend. Chennai too could experience moderate rainfall during the period.
On the prospects of the weather system intensifying into a cyclone, he said, “We are monitoring the system closely. It must first become a deep depression and retain its intensity.”
Advisory to fishermen
The department has warned fishermen not to venture out to sea till December 16 as squally weather with winds gusting up to 65 km per hour may prevail along and off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra coasts. An IMD bulletin earlier on Monday noted that the system may cross north T.N. and south A.P. coasts early on December 16 as a cyclonic storm.
Weather bloggers too note that the system may intensify beyond a deep depression and bring a good spell of rain over Chennai. R. Pradeep John, who runs the blog Tamil Nadu Weatherman, said the conditions were favourable for the system to develop into a cyclone.
While it is too early to point out the landfall, Chennai would have good rains for one day irrespective of the landfall point. The system is expected to provide heavy rains in the surrounding areas where it crosses the coast. However, delta districts may not be affected by cyclonic winds.