India Meteorological Department (IMD) has taken a call on a low-pressure area being generated over the South-East Bay of Bengal as early as tomorrow (Wednesday) from the ongoing easterly wave activity, promising another spell of heavy to very heavy showers/rain for Coastal Tamil Nadu, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Kerala.
The ‘low’ will likely travel to the West-North-West towards the Sri Lanka and adjoining Tamil Nadu coast, with the southern parts of the latter likely getting impacted by a direct hit. Its location and bearing is just right for the south-easterly to easterly rain bands to lash the rest of the Tamil Nadu coast, according to various model projections.
Rains may lash Chennai
Parts of Chennai as also the rest of Tamil Nadu have been receiving moderate to heavy showers over the past couple of days. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall today (Tuesday) at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal.
Light to moderate scattered/fairly widespread rainfall is likely over Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during next five days as the ‘low’ bears down over the Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coast.
Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next five days and over Kerala and Mahe from Thursday to Saturday. Isolated very heavy rainfall is also likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during this period.
Wet spell until month-end
An extended outlook from November 28 to 30 said that fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall may break out over the South Peninsula with isolated heavy falls over North Tamil Nadu (including Chennai) and adjoining South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Scattered light to moderate rainfall is likely over the Andaman & Nicobar as well as Lakshadweep Islands.
The Sri Lankan Meteorological Department hinted about the possibility of showery conditions getting enhanced from today due to ‘the low-level atmospheric disturbance’ (low-pressure area) developing in the vicinity of the island. It has forecast showers or thundershowers over the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and North-Western provinces and in Matale district.
Alert in Sri Lanka
Fairly heavy showers above 7.5 cm can be expected at some places in Northern, North-Central and Eastern provinces. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places elsewhere during the afternoon or night. Fairly heavy showers above 5 cm can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa province and in Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts.
Back home, weather bloggers in Chennai have scaled up their rainfall projections as the ‘low’ approaches. @ChennaiRains tweeted that an ‘aggressive Bay of Bengal threatens to bowl another yorker at North Tamil Nadu this week as IMD confirms a fresh LPA is likely to form… by tomorrow’ backed up by a post on why North Tamil Nadu including Chennai needs to be alert.
Weather bloggers on track
@jhrishi2 tweeted that the North-East monsoon is to revive from November 26 ‘with a strong moist easterly surge and a trough of low embedded in it, pushing towards Tamil Nadu. Owing to this and other conductive atmospheric set-up, heavy to very heavy rains are likely over most parts of coastal Tamil Nadu/South Coastal Andhra Pradesh regions.
@RainStorm_TN saws the possibility of ‘moderate to heavy rains/thunderstorms’ lashing the West, South Interior and Coastal Tamil Nadu, South Kerala and the ghats of both Tamil Nadu/Kerala. From November 26 to December 2: ‘Low’ over South-West Bay of Bengal ‘will move towards Sri Lanka and further will move to towards the Tamil Nadu coast.’