The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, has said that thunderstorms packing heavy rain would raid Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts till tomorrow (Friday) morning.

The forecast valid until this (Thursday) morning too had mentioned about the possibility of thunderstorms with heavy rain lashing isolated places, mostly along the same group of districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

Also read: Weather: TN awaits spell to break jinx on North-East monsoon

Intra-seasonal variations

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director-General, India Meteorological Department (IMD), explained to BusinessLine that the North-East monsoon may have been weak for some time but the season also shows intra-seasonal variations. “We are expecting enhanced rainfall this week over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which would continue for five days.”

In an update earlier this morning, the Chennai Meteorological Centre said the sky condition over Chennai may remain generally cloudy till 11.30 am. Light to moderate thunderstorm with rain is likely in some areas. Meanwhile, weather bloggers in Chennai gave out real-time updates as follows:

Chennai blogger updates

@ChennaiRains: Rains to continue over coastal areas of Tamil Nadu as #NEM2020 picks up pace over the next couple of days. Isolated heavy spells likely over interior parts of Tamil Nadu later in the night. Chennai and suburbs will get on & off spells with heavy bursts at times.

Nellore recorded nearly nine cm of overnight rains, with the bulk happening after 2.30 am, from a band of thunderstorms that took nearly six hours to reach the coast after forming to the East of Chennai. Now, bands are forming further down giving hopes for North Tamil Nadu for today.

@chennaiweather: ‘Moderate to rather heavy rain lashing many places in Chennai as line of cloud mass forming over the Bay targeting city.’ On Wednesday, this handle had tweeted that the wind pattern is becoming favourable for Chennai to get moderate to heavy rain. ‘Hold your emotions and be patient to see good rainfall for Chennai in the next 24 hours.’

Also read: Wet spell as N-E monsoon revives over Tamil Nadu

Easterly wave active

@Chennai_Rains: Widespread rains expected for next two days (November 12 and13) to the North Tamil Nadu coastals…some areas in Chennai will get very heavy rains. This must be the best spell for Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai areas…the delta/South Tamil Nadu will get mod showers.

@Chennai_updates: This handle said on Tuesday (November 10): Rains to start from tonight for Coastal Tamil Nadu including Chennai. As things are today, expecting moderate rains only. ‘There will be a break on 13th and from 14th evening onwards, rains would again begin.’

Meanwhile, the IMD said this morning that the coastward movement of the trough in the easterlies aligned along North Andhra Pradesh to Sri Lanka may bring scattered to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and isolated heavy falls over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

Successor wave expected

A successor easterly wave expected to affect the South-East Peninsula during this week would continue to bring scattered to fairly widespread rainfall, thunderstorms lightning and isolated heavy falls over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from Saturday to Monday and over Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Sunday and Monday.

An extended outlook into the next week (Tuesday to Thursday) indicates the possibility of scattered to fairly widespread rainfall over Tamil Nadu, adjoining Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast for Rayalaseema and the Bay Islands.

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