While rain is likely to ease in the northern parts of the State, southern T.N. will continue receiving rainfall for two more days, the Meteorological Department has said.
Heavy rain over the weekend has wiped out the deficit for the season. Tamil Nadu has received about 40 cm of rainfall so far, against its seasonal share of 36 cm — a 11% excess. It needs just 4 cm more of rainfall to reach its average for the Northeast monsoon, officials said.
During the past 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Monday, Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district received very heavy rainfall of 18 cm, the highest in the State for the day. Coonoor in the Nilgiris and Palaviduthi in Karur district each recorded 13 cm of rainfall. Most other weather stations also received heavy rain.
A trough in easterlies that runs from the southwest Bay of Bengal, off Sri Lanka’s coast, to the south Tamil Nadu coast will influence rain for the next few days. S. Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, said a low pressure area over the Lakshadweep area and the adjoining southeast Arabian Sea also influenced good easterly flow, which was favourable for wet weather in Tamil Nadu.
“The present rain spell will continue. But the intensity will vary among different regions. While south Tamil Nadu will receive scattered rainfall, the intensity and spatial coverage of rain will be less in the northern parts of the State,” he said. There are chances of heavy rain in one or two places on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chennai to get moderate rains
Meanwhile, the weather stations in Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 4 cm and 6 cm respectively. Chennai would experience light to moderate showers till Wednesday.
The otherwise dry November ended on a wet note due to the downpour during the weekend. It brought down the seasonal deficit in rainfall from nearly 30% to 8% in Chennai district. The city has received 56 cm against its average of 61 cm so far since October 1.
Nearly 107 minor and major tanks in Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts have reached their maximum capacity in the past three days. Tanks in Navalur, Guduvancheri, Mambakkam, Potheri, Tambaram Periya eri, Sembakkam, Nanmangalam, Perungalathur, Oragadam, Selaiyur and Keelkattalai are among those that have filled up. Officials of the Water Resources Department said there were no reports of breaching of lakes in the districts. “We expect the number of tanks that have touched their capacity to go up to a minimum of 500 by Tuesday,” an official said.
