Heavy rains have pounded parts of Tamil Nadu overnight, a result of a depression in the Bay of Bengal.
In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the weather system was moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 21 kmph. It lay about 170 km east-southeast of Chennai and 170 km east of Puducherry at 5.30 am.
IMD said it was likely to continue moving west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining Andhra Pradesh coasts between Karaikal and Sriharikota, close to the north of Puducherry, by Thursday evening.
The weather department has predicted “light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places” over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, north interior Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu rains: The weather system will cross the coast Thursday evening. (Source: IMD)
It has also said south interior Karnataka and north coastal Andhra Pradesh will receive heavy rainfall at isolated places.
A ‘red’ alert, indicating heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, remains in place in parts of the state today.
As a precautionary measure, the government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Thursday.
The rains are likely to continue on Friday as well, the IMD said.
In the 24 hours ending 2.30 am Thursday, several parts of Chennai witnessed significant rainfall. Data released showed the Nungambakkam observatory recorded 114.5 mm rainfall, while Meenambakkam recorded 82 mm.
And in other parts of the city, the data read: Ennore port (124 mm), Cheyyur (72.5mm), Villivakkam (89.5 mm), MRC Nagar (115.5 mm),Taramani (103 mm), Kattapakkam (74.5 mm), West Tambaram (72.0 mm), Satyabama University (90.0 mm), Tirur (67 mm) and ACS Medical College (94.5 mm).
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has recorded rainfall 52 per cent above normal in its monsoon season. Reservoirs across the state are inching towards full storage; 53 of the 90 key reservoirs crossed 76 per cent storage on Wednesday. “Of the 90 key reservoirs in Tamil Nadu, storage level in 53 such facilities has gone above 76 per cent. Out of the 14,138 lakes, storage in 9,153 waterbodies has crossed 50 per cent and 3,691 lakes have crossed 100 per cent,” a government release said, according to news agency PTI.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/tamil-nadu-chennai-rains-depression-formed-7617513/
