Chennai, Oct 21:
With heavy rains under the influence of Northeast monsoon battering the North and South coastal districts, including Chennai and its suburbs, a fresh Low Pressure area has formed over the Bay, while yet another system is inlikely to form on October 23, as heavy showers will continue for the next 4-5 days, which would also cover Cauvery delta districts.
The Indian Metereological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said the well marked low pressure area over southwest Arabian sea weakened into a Low Pressure area over the same region at 0530 hrs. The associated cyclonic circulation extends upto 5.8 km above mean sea level. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards as a low pressure area and then westsouthwestwards towards Somalia coast tomorrow.
Under its influence of upper air cyclonic circulation over Southwest Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu coast a Low Pressure area has formed over the same region at 0530 hrs today. The associated cyclonic circulation extends upto 5.8 km above mean sea level. The trough now runs from the above centre of low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Tamil Nadu coast to north coastal Andhra Pradesh at 3.1 km above mean sea level.
This system is likely to persist in the same region for the next two days before, even as yet another Low Pressure area is in the offing on October 23. These two systems are likely to extend the wet spells, with hevy to very heavy rains in North and South coastal districts, besides in Western Ghat regions, which has been facing the monsoon fury, while heavy rains are likely to lash Cauvery delta region in the coming days.
The IMD said that the upper air cyclonic circulation over Gulf of Thailand and adjoining Thailand and Myanmar extending upto 4.5 km above mean sea level persists over the same region. It is likely to emerge into north Andaman Sea by today and thereafter will move west-north-westwards.
Under its influence a Low Pressure area is likely to form over Southeast and adjoining East-central Bay of Bengal around 23rd October. Then it is likely to move north-westwards and intensify further during the subsequent 3 days.
A top Chennai Regional Metereological Department told a private TV channel that the October 23 system would be closely monitored on the possibility of concentrating into a Cyclone, while ruling out any impact on TN coast, if it all it intensified. However, the present spell of rains would continue.
He said Northern (Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore and Villupuram dists) and Southern coastal districts and Western Ghat regions of Tamil Nadu are set to receive heavy to very heavy rains, while Cauvery delta districts would have heavy rains till October 25-26, further intensifying the Northeast monsoon, which has already yielded 12.1 per cent more than the average rainfall of 10 per cent from October 1-20.
Meanwhile, heavy rains, albeit in spells and accompanied by thunder and lightning, battered Chennai, its suburbs and North and South coastal districts and Western Ghat regions of Tamil Nadu, with the delta region too lashed by heavy rains last night.
The rains continued all through the night and till today morning, with several areas experiencing very heavy downpur prompting the authorities to declare a holiday for schools in five districts.
In its latest update, the Met office said MGR Nagar in Chennai recorded a maximum of 15 cm of rain till 0830 hrs this morning, followed by Vadapalani 14, Saidapet, Chennai Airport, Alandur (dist Chennai) and Kolapakkam in Kancheepuram district 13 each, Meenambakkam, DGP Office, Colachel (dist Kanyakumari), Madipakkam, Valasaravakkam, Maduravoyal in Chennai) 12 each, Valasaravakkam, Chennai North, Nerkundram, Nungambakkam and Adyar11 each, Korattur in Chennai, Azhiyar (dist Coimbatore), Valasaravakkam (Chennai) and Utrakosamangai in Ramanathapuram district 10 each.
The rains are expected to continue all through the day today, albeit in intermittent spells before gaining in intensity in evening/night hours, even as the sky remained grey and people experienced chilly weather conditions.
Water logging was reported in several parts of Chennai and neighbouring districts and the civic staff acted swiftly to clear all the subways in the city and ensured normal traffic.
Meanwhile, the Greater Chennai Corporation authorities, which has been engaged in rescue and relief works, are montioring the situation and deployed civic staff to pump out stagnated rain waters using high HP motor pumps in several areas and cleared uprooted trees in the city. Relief centres were also opened with medical facilities and morning breakfast provided to people in affected areas.
According to Water Resources Minister N.Anand, who toured the water-logged areas and inspected the rain relief works in his T.Nagar constituency in the city said, unlike in the past, the stagnated waters were drained out in about 2-3 hours and steps are on to provide lunch to 5,000 people in affected areas.
Reports said relief camps to house people evacuated from low lying areas were opened across the state and community kitchens were opened to provide food to them.
As the rains are likely to continue, the Collectors in five districts–Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Ranipet–have declared a holiday for schools only for the day.
Other Ministers who were deputed to monitor the rain situation, are monitoring the rescue and relief works in their designated Zones in Chennai and also in other districts, besides visiting the water-logged locations.