The severe cyclonic storm ‘Thane' tracked to the west over land, weakened rapidly to a deep depression and lay about 150 km west of Cuddalore on Friday afternoon.
This is even as north and north-west India braced itself for a foggy and chilly dawn of the New Year, with a fresh weather-maker western disturbance marking its run-up from across the border.
COLD WEEK
The ‘New-Year's week' could turn out to be even colder on the trail of the passing western disturbance when cold Arctic air is expected to fill the plains. This is expected to last until a deeper western disturbance calls in towards the end of the week, bringing back fog to the plains and stray showers in the high reaches. Meanwhile, remnant ‘Thane' may split up into two, with a moisture feed being directed to central and adjoining east India.
The US Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Centre has said ‘Thane' remnant would be monitored for signs of regeneration in the Arabian Sea.
WEATHER ALERT
An India Meteorological Department (IMD) outlook said that rain or thundershowers are likely at a few places over central and adjoining east and north peninsular India from Sunday, the New Year. This would come about as the northwesterlies to westerlies from the approaching western disturbance steers the north-northeast-bound moisture feed from remnant ‘Thane' to these areas.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall may break out at one or two places over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema and south Tamil Nadu during the next two days.
Dense fog conditions could be unleashed over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh during this period.
The arrival of the warm front of the westerly system could help lift minimum temperatures a little above the frigid lows during next three days. Meanwhile, rains triggered by very severe cyclone ‘Thane' on crossing land along Cuddalore-Puducherry have been less than anticipated and mostly confined to the north of the point of landfall.
Storm surges and high-velocity winds justified its status as a re-born severe cyclonic storm on arrival.