The Hindu Business Line : Rains in torrent wallop Kerala, TN

The skies opened up with a vengeance over most of Kerala and Tamil Nadu as heavy to very heavy overnight rains walloped the hills and plains during the 24 hours ending on Friday morning.

The ferocity with which the torrents blasted the surface was straight out of pure-play monsoon settings; and, unusual as it is for this time of the year, the causative `low’ was holding strong over the southeast Arabian Sea (north-northwest, relative to its bearing the previous day).

MAY BECOME MARKED

On Friday, the rain-driving trough over land extended from the centre of the ‘low’ to Gujarat through coastal Karnataka, madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) suspected that the system might go on to become marked, but the US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) has removed it from watch for signs of intensification.

If it were to develop into a depression, it could well be the first to do so in the Arabian Sea in a long time during March, according to Mr Rajesh Kapadia, a leading Mumbai-based weather blogger. “At least not in my record of the last 40 years,” Mr Kapadia told Business Line.

The Regional Met Centre (RMC) in Chennai said on Friday that rainfall occurred at most places over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep and south interior Karnataka, and at many places over coastal Karnataka. Isolated rainfall occurred over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.

VERY HEAVY FALLS

Heavy to very heavy rainfall (in cm) was recorded from Radhapuram (Tirunelveli) and Ketti (Nilgiris)-19 each; Sivagiri (Tirunelveli) and Karur Paramathi-15 each; Nanguneri, Tuticorin and Kozhikode-13 each; Srivaikuntam (Tuticorin)-12, Thiruvadanai (Ramanathapuram) and Kozhikode Airport-11 each; Kadaladi (Ramanathapuram), Sholinghur (Vellore), Erode, Natham (Dindigul), and Vaikom (Kottayam)-10 each.

In its forecast for next two days, the Chennai RMC said that rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at most places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Lakshadweep, at many places over coastal and south interior Karnataka and at a few places over Rayalaseema, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and north interior Karnataka. Isolated rain or thundershowers are likely to occur over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The Ensemble Forecast System of the US Naval Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Centre (FNMOC) said the torrential rain belt could move back again into Tamil Nadu and hold strong there until Monday (March 24). But the rains could relent in time for the start of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa at Chennai on Wednesday (March 26).