Covid and rain keep festival season low-key
CHENNAI: The nine-day long Indian festival of Navarathri began in Tamil Nadu on Saturday amid curbs brought by the raging Covid 19 pandemic, while incessant rain also contributed to keeping the festivity low-key.
While no public events are allowed during the festival, many parts of the state were reported wet and inundated from rain brought by a depression in the Arabian Sea. The depression was on Saturday parked off Maharashtra coast, but weather bureaus predicted heavy rain in Tamil Nadu in its impact.
The Met said wet weather will continue till Monday and thunderstorms are set to return over the region.
Many parts of the state particularly in the north, are likely to receive light to moderate rain, it added.
“For the next two days, districts, including Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Vellore, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Nagapattinam and Krishnagiri, are expected to receive light to moderate rainfall,” officials said.
The Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said the well-marked low pressure area over East Central and adjoining Northeast Arabian off South Gujarat coast moved west-northwestwards and lay centered over East Central and adjoining Northeast Arabian Sea at 5.30am.
“It is very likely to movefurther westnorthwestwards and concentrate into a depression over eastcentral and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea during next 12 hours. The metropolis can expect pre- monsoon spells as weathermen have forecast moderate showers accompanied by thunder and lightning over the city for the next two days.”
It has been raining in Chennai and suburbs since early in the morning.
Widespread showers were reported at
Guindy, Alandur, Saidapet, Mylapore, Central, Thandayarpet, Rayapuram, Washermenpet, Barimunai, Pookadai, Kasimedu, Perambur,
Tiruvika Nagar, Vyasarpadi, Puliyanthoppu and Kolathur. It has been raining since last night in the suburbs of Tambaram, Ambattur, Avadi, Pallavaram, Pammal, Puhal, Chenkunram, Tiruvottiyur and Manali Madhavaram. During the last 24 hours, Chinnakallar, Papanasam, Valparai, Perunchani, Pechiparai, Siddaru and Tenkasi received heavy rainfall.