Chennai and Tami Nadu Weather Watch: Thursday, December 5

Vanakkam! There's a hint of an early morning nip in the air in Chennai as the north-easterly winds turn northerlies at times to filter in the early winter cold — just as they were blamed in October-November for the haze and pollutants in Chennai, alleged from stubble burning in the North and North-West. In this manner, prevailing north-easterlies may be slowly giving in to the seasonal cooler winds from upcountry, signalling the approaching end of the North-East monsoon.

But one cannot write off the season entirely. There are indications that the region around South Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and the Comorin region may yet again wake up to some late-season fireworks.

At 8 am today, the temperature was 27.4 degrees Celsius and the dew point temperature was at 24.5 degrees Celsius, with humidity level lower, at 84 per cent. Humidity was at 100 per cent on Wednesday. The winds continue to be north-easterly to east-north-easterly locally but without much moisture carry.

The Chennai Met Office under the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it would be a partly cloudy day out there with no hint of rain.

The main centres recording light to moderate rain yesterday were mostly in the South, led by Papanasam in Tirunelveli (5 cm); Thirumannur, Papanasam in Thanjavur, Sendurai, Kumbakonam, and Nannialm (3 cm each); and Kodavasal, Thiruvidaimaradur, Alangudi, Pandavaiyar Head, Cheyyur, and Cheranmahadevi (2 cm each).

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said that light to moderate rain is likely to occur at isolated places over North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and a few places over South Tamil Nadu. The outlook for the next three days also suggested light to moderate rain at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

No clouds in the Bay

The Bay of Bengal was literally clean of clouds while some isolated ones were observed over the Gulf of Mannar, drifting in from over Sri Lanka and the adjoining South-West Bay of Bengal. This is precisely where some weather is expected to evolve during the next few days. Spotty clouds had entered Rameswaram as well and just the stretch to the North of Tuticorin.

Meanwhile, international models assessed that there will be just a 10 per cent chance for precipitation in Chennai on a day when sunshine and clouds would be mixed, with the day temperature peaking at 29 degrees Celsius with the winds predominantly north-easterly at a pacy 15-30 km/hr.

Chennai International Airport (MAA/VOMM) had a foggy morning with the temperature at 29 degrees Celsius at 8.30 am with northerly winds. There was an average delay of five minutes in arrivals and 12 minutes in departures.

Elsewhere, almost Chennai city-like climes are being predicted for the day in Puducherry, Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli.

A cloudy Madurai had a slightly better chance of rain at 20 per cent under a mix of sun and clouds mid-morning turning partly to mostly cloudy in the evening.

Thoothukudi further South has a better outlook than Madurai, with a 50 per cent chance of rain as thunderstorms may develop in the afternoon thanks to evolving weather in the nearby Gulf of Mannar.

All this just goes to show how the rain belt has shifted to the South, which is as seasonal as it can be.