Monsoon may revive over T.N only in December

The city will continue to experience relatively dry weather for three more days.

However, there is some hope of rains over the entire State as the northeast monsoon may revive by the first week of December.

Officials of the meteorological department said the State may not get rainfall until the very severe cyclonic storm ‘Lehar’ crosses the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machillipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, on Thursday.

The State has so far registered rainfall of 24 cm for the season, which is deficit by nearly 30 per cent.

Chennai has received only half its share of rainfall of 65 cm for the season so far.

Meenambakkam, with a deficit of 19 cm, has fared better than the city, said an official.

Y.E.A. Raj, deputy director general of meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, said a good spell of rain over a few days would help reduce the rain deficit in the State.

Usually, tropical cyclones move westwards or north westwards and form at a lower latitude in November and bring rains over the State.

It is rare for systems to move north and reduce the possibility of heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu.

But, Chennai has a chance of rainfall next week. The scale of rainfall will be known in a few days, said Mr. Raj.

The department forecasts the city will experience a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius till Thursday.