Chennai, Ghat districts may get moderate rainfall

CHENNAI: A low-pressure area, likely to form over the north Bay of Bengal on Friday, is expected to bring moderate rain, thunderstorms and lightning to the Western Ghats, interior Tamil Nadu and Kanniyakumari. This is expected to continue for two days.

The cyclonic circulation will be prevalent over the east-central and adjoining north-east Bay of Bengal between 4.5 and 5.8 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, a failrly large low-pressure area is likely to form over the north Bay of Bengal and neighbouring areas.

“Due to heat convection, the Western Ghat districts, interior Tamil Nadu, and Kanniyakumari will witness thunderstorms with moderate rain for the next two days. In Chennai, the sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy,” said N Puviarasan, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, RMC.

He said fishermen should not venture out to sea for the next 24 hours. The low-pressure and resultant air circulation is expected to create a rough sea. This can also stir up high waves and wind. Fishermen, especially on smaller vessels, could be in imminent danger at sea and hence they should stay off in the wake of adverse weather warnings.

On Thursday, the maximum temperatures in the city rose and weather stations in Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 36.6 degrees Celsius and 36.4 degrees Celsius respectively. The minimum temperature was 29.5 and 28.6 degrees Celsius in the same recording stations.

On Thursday, Coimbatore received 2cm of rainfall; Salem and Tirupur, 1cm; and minimal rain occurred in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kanniyakumari, Theni and Nilgiris.

The recent cyclone Yaas, which had wreaked havoc in Odisha and parts of West Bengal, had little effect on northern Tamil Nadu and Chennai. Initially, the cyclonic circulation was predicted to bring rain to these regions as well.