Chennai, March 11 Several parts of Chennai experienced sudden rainfall on Tuesday due to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal, bringing much-needed relief from the recent heatwave, officials said.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast light to moderate showers across Tamil Nadu over the next two days, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in southern districts.
Many areas in Chennai, including Old Mahabalipuram Road, Purasaiwakkam, Tondiarpet, Ayyanavaram, Tambaram, Pallavaram, Chromepet, Hasthinapuram, Sembakkam, Selaiyur, Irumbuliyur, Perungalathur, Perumbakkam, Sholinganallur, and Alandur, witnessed mild showers on Tuesday morning.
These rains are expected to bring down daytime temperatures slightly, with maximum temperatures hovering around 33 to 34 degrees Celsius.
The upper-air cyclonic circulation, which was initially located over the northeast Equatorial Indian Ocean and the southeast Bay of Bengal, has now shifted to the Equatorial Indian Ocean and the southwest Bay of Bengal at 1.5 km above sea level.
This system has triggered rainfall across the state.
An orange alert has been issued for Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi districts due to the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall.
Additionally, a yellow alert has been issued for Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi, which are expected to receive heavy showers.
Other districts, including Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, and Ramanathapuram, are also likely to experience significant rainfall over the next 48 hours.
Tamil Nadu has received 14 per cent more rainfall than the seasonal average during the ongoing northeast monsoon season.
The state recorded 447 mm of rainfall, surpassing the seasonal norm of 393 mm.
Chennai recorded 845 mm of rainfall, marking a 16 per cent increase above its seasonal average.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore saw a 47 per cent rise in rainfall compared to the usual levels.
The latest weather warnings come in the aftermath of Cyclone Fengal, which wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1.
The cyclone brought intense rainfall, followed by heavy showers from a low-pressure system over the southern Bay of Bengal.
The cyclone's impact was severe, resulting in: 12 fatalities, 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land submerged 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals affected.
In response to the devastation caused by the cyclone, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin sought Rs 2,000 crore in interim relief from the National Disaster Response Fund.
An initial damage assessment estimated the requirement at Rs 2,475 crore for relief and reconstruction efforts.
The Central government sanctioned Rs 944 crore as interim relief for the affected regions.
With heavy rainfall predicted over the next two days, authorities are closely monitoring the situation, urging residents to remain cautious.
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