The well-marked low-pressure area over the South-East Bay of Bengal and adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean intensified as a depression over South-East and adjoining South-West Bay (within sight of Sri Lanka and South-East Tamil Nadu) about 670 km East-South-East of Trincomalee; 810 km East-North-East of Colombo; and 880 km East-South-East of Karaikal (Tamil Nadu). 

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the depression would continue to move West-North-West till Tuesday morning but recurve to South-South-West under the ‘weight’ of a visiting intense western disturbance over North-West India and cross the Sri Lanka coast on the forenoon of Wednesday. The intense disturbance had reached the portals of North-West India on Monday evening.

Fresh weaker disturbance seen

The intense disturbance had dipped down to West Maharashtra with a battery of strong westerly winds, which prevailed over the depression to the South, bending its track lower in the process. Meanwhile, the IMD said fresh western disturbance may head towards North-West India by Thursday. But it will not have the strength or intensity to match those of immediate predecessors. 

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The brewing depression as captured by the NOAA of the US on Saturday night. A screen grab by Chennai-based photographer V Karthik.

Low-pressure area becomes ‘well-marked’ over South-East Bay of Bengal

The Sri Lankan Met Department, which did not notify the depression in its noon bulletin on Monday, said the prevailing well-marked ‘low’ will scale up rainy conditions over the island on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Very heavy showers of up to 15 cm are likely in some places. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, Eastern, North-Central, and Uva provinces and in Matale district.

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Thunderstorms, lightning

Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere during the afternoon or night. Very heavy showers amounting to 15 cm are likely at some places in the Eastern, Uva, and Central provinces and in the Polonnaruwa district. Heavy showers above 10 cm are likely at some places in North-Western and Northern provinces and Anuradhapura district.

Back home, the IMD said thunderstorms and lightning may hit Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, and Mahe on Tuesday. Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over south Tamil Nadu on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Fishermen are not advised to venture into the seas along and off the North Tamail Nadu coast, the Sri Lanka coast, the Gulf of Mannar, and the Comorin.

It was for the second time in a week’s time that the northern and southern parts of the country had witnessed either a snowing or wet spell simultaneously. As indicated in these columns, the intense westerly system had spawned a cyclonic circulation over North-West Rajasthan setting up up high incremental moisture feed from Arabian Sea, though weaker by Monday evening. 

 

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