Chennai: After a prolonged delay, the Northeast Monsoon rains have commenced over coastal and south Tamilnadu, Puducherry, adjoining areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Kerala on Thursday.
The Indian Meterological Department said conditions were favourable for commencement of Northeast monsoon rains over rest of Tamilnadu and Kerala, South Interior Karnataka and Rayalaseema during the next 24 hours.
It said the trough of low at mean sea level from southwest Bay of Bengal to westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh now lay centred over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka.
A trough runs from this system to South Interior Karnataka across interior Tamilnadu, while the cyclonic circulation over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka embedded in the above trough of low has become less marked. A cyclonic circulation also lay centred over south Tamilnadu and neighbourhood.
The Met office has forecast widespread rains in coastal and southern districts during the next 48, which meant that a wet weekend was in the offing. Meanwhile, after spells of intermittent rain last night and early this morning, sun shone briefly, before grey skies, accompnied by gusty winds, brought spells of rain in Chennai city and its suburbs.
The Chennai city recorded 3.6 cm of rain during the last 24 hrs ending at 0830 hrs this morning, while suburban Meenambakkam recorded 3.4 cm of rain.
The northern suburban Puzhal recorded a maximum of 11cm, followed by Kelambakkam-10, Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore, Perundurai in Erode, Cuddalore – 9 each.
Madhavaram, Avinasi (Tiruppur dist) -7 each, Peraiyur (Madurai dist), Ennore (Tiruvallur dist), Taramani (Kancheepuram dist), Red hills (Tiruvallur dist) -6 each, Vedaranyam (Nagapattinam dist), Satyabama (Kancheepuram dist), Sivakasi (Virudhunagar dist), Mahabalipuram (Kancheepuram dist) – 5 each.