Heavy rain forecast for four delta districts of Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Dec 17 (IANS) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has predicted heavy rain in four Delta districts of Tamil Nadu -- Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur -- on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Karaikal is also likely to receive very heavy rain during this period.

The rains are due to a new low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal. According to the weather department, this low-pressure system is forming under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation, which was located over the South Andaman Sea and adjoining areas before moving toward the Bay of Bengal.

The system is expected to become more marked and move west-northwestwards towards the Tamil Nadu coast during the day.

Heavy rain is likely at isolated places in Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai districts, and Puducherry.

On Wednesday, heavy to very heavy rain is expected in isolated places over Cuddalore, Villupuram districts, and Puducherry.

Heavy rain is also forecast for isolated places in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur districts, as well as Karaikal.

Any stall or slow movement of the weather system could turn the rainfall event into widespread heavy rainfall over the northern Tamil Nadu coast, the MeT officials said.

Additionally, the potential for westerly and easterly wind interactions near south-coastal Andhra Pradesh or north-coastal Tamil Nadu is increasing. This could result in extreme rainfall between Marakkanam and Sriharikota. The stretch between Pondicherry and Nellore may also witness heavy to very heavy rain during this period.

Tamil Nadu has recorded 14 per cent excess rainfall during the ongoing northeast monsoon season, with 447 mm received against the average of 393 mm.

Chennai recorded 845 mm of rainfall, 16 per cent above average, while Coimbatore saw a significant 47 per cent increase in rainfall.

Fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the sea, and those already at sea have been urged to return to shore immediately.

This alert follows the devastation caused by Cyclone Fengal, which impacted Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1.

The cyclone brought intense rain and was followed by heavy to very heavy rainfall due to a low-pressure area over the south Bay of Bengal.

Cyclone Fengal resulted in the loss of 12 lives and inundated 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, causing significant losses to farmers. Infrastructure damage included 1,649 km of electric conductors, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 km of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 tanks.

Numerous houses and huts were also damaged. Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi districts recorded over 50 cm of rainfall in a single day, equivalent to an entire season’s average. This led to severe flooding and extensive crop damage. The Tamil Nadu government reported that 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals were affected by the disaster.