The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, of the India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain at isolated places over interior parts of the State on Thursday.
“The upper air circulation is moving westwards and taking the rain to the interiors. Heavy rain has been forecast for isolated places over Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Sivaganga, Theni, Madurai, Virudhunagar and Tenkasi districts. The heavy rainfall belt will keep moving,” S. Balachandran, Additional Director of Meteorology, RMC, told The Hindu on Wednesday.
The forecast for the rest of the State is the likelihood of light to moderate showers in many places with thunderstorms and lighting in isolated areas.
He said the quantum of rain over Chennai and surroundings would come down gradually. However, intermittent moderate showers would continue in some places in Chennai.
It will be a generally cloudy sky with maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 25-26 degree Celsius and 22-23 degree Celsius respectively, he said.
Between 8.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, the observatories at Nungambakkam recorded 2.2 mm of rain and Meenambakkam 5.4 mm of rain, Nandanam 8 mm, and Chembarambakkam 4.5 mm.
Puducherry recorded 2.3 cm, Vellore 1.4 cm, Cuddalore: 1.3 cm, Kanniyakumari 1.6 cm, Thanjavur 2.2 cm, Lower Kothaiyar in Kanniyakumari district 4.6 cm, Nagercoil 2.7 cm, Pechiparai 2.65 cm, and Thirupathisaram in Kanniyakumari 3.65 cm.
The shutters of Red Hills reservoir (Puzhal Lake) were opened on Wednesday afternoon. | Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Under close watch
Meanwhile, the Water Resources Department released 100 cusecs of water each from Chembarambakkam and Red Hills reservoirs. This was due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of both the waterbodies and as a precautionary measure.
In Chembarambakkam, the water gushed out via the 6.5-km-long surplus course and joined the Adyar at Thirumudivakkam.
Residents of low-lying areas along the route were warned of chances of flood and were told to move to safe places at Kavanur, Kundrathur, Thirumudivakkam, Vazhuthulambedu and Thiruneermalai.
At Red Hills, the water gushed through the 12-km-long surplus course via Naravarikuppam, Vadaperumbakkam, Amullavoyal, and Sadayankuppam joined the Kosasthalaiyar.
Sources in the WRD said authorities were monitoring the lakes continuously and took readings every hour.
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