Coastal Tamil Nadu to stay mostly wet until weekend

The southern parts of the peninsula, especially the South-East (Tamil Nadu) coast, are expected to see above-normal showers until this weekend.

This is attributed to the presence of ‘low-pressure’ systems in the seasonal easterly winds across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, an outlook from the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said.

The above-normal showers would later become near-normal rains and hold on until December 11, up to which forecasts are available.

Starting Sunday, this would represent an intermittently wet regime for the coast for the next five days.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts too indicates the presence of a trough in the South-West Bay of Bengal for most of the time until December 16 up to which its forecasts are available.

The presence of a trough is more than sufficient to maintain the easterly flows across coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and trigger rain or thundershowers.

This was abundantly made clear during the two peak-rain periods of November 15-16 and December 2-3.

Only, the intensity and the punishing nature of the spells would be missing in future appearances.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Met Centre said that a rain-driving low-pressure area has moved entirely out from the South-West Bay of Bengal to the Comorin area.

But the parent ‘trough’ (within which ‘low’s take birth) continues to make its presence felt in the South-West Bay, off the Tamil Nadu coast.

Meanwhile, the Met Centre said that the North-East monsoon has been ‘vigorous’ over Tamil Nadu during the 24 hours ending Sunday morning.

The heaviest rainfall occurred over Kancheepuram and Cuddalore districts. Chief amounts of rainfall recorded (in cm) are: Chengalpattu-16; Panruti and Uthiramerur-13 each; Virudachalam, Mahabalipuram, Parangipettai, and Kelambakkam-12 each; Neyveli-11; Cuddalore-10; Tozhudur and Maduranthagam-9 each; Sethiathope-8; Chidambaram, Kattukuppam, and Marakkanam- 7 each; Papanasam, Tarangambadi, and Venbavur-6 each; Kancheepuram, Jayamkondam, Anaikaranchatram, Vedaranyam, Illuppur and Vandavasi-5 each.