Erstwhile cyclone ‘Nada’ had weakened twice over into a depression before crossing the North Tamil Nadu coast between 4 am and 5 am early this morning, according to the India Met Department (IMD).

The crossing was delayed by more than two hours than anticipated, and took place near Nagapattinam, 20 km to the South of Karaikal.

Moving west

The depression is expected to move nearly westward over interior Tamil Nadu during the next 12 hours, weakening progressively into a well-marked low-pressure area.

The process of cloud-building, which in turn generates rainfall, had been badly compromised with during the six hours after crossing, the Met said.

Ahead of the landfall, several parts of the delta districts received heavy rainfall. Among places which received varying amount of rainfall were Nagapattinam, Vedaranniyam, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikal and Puducherry.

According to the Met Centre in Chennai, the depression over land is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and Thanjavur.

Fresh 'low'

Chennai, Puducherry and Tiruchirappalli recorded three cm each until 5.30 pm last evening while Cuddalore, Thondi, Athiramapattina, Karaikal, Kodaikanal and Madurai received two cm each.

The rainfall received was far too low than was expected and let down most of the interior which has been reeling under drought-like conditions.

Meanwhile, the IMD has officially come out with a forecast for a fresh low-pressure area likely spinning up over South-East Bay of Bengal by Sunday.

Most weather models, including the IMD, expect it to convert itself into a powerful cyclone by mid-week next week.

It is forecast initially to eye the Andhra Pradesh coast for a landfall, though models do not agree on a single location.

Forecasts have tended to take the system variously to the North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast and South Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu coast by December 8/9 (Thursday/Friday).

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