Chennai, March 23 The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast light to moderate rainfall across many parts of Tamil Nadu over the next two days.
After a brief two-day dry spell, the rain is expected to resume from March 27 and continue into the following day. Chennai is also likely to receive light to moderate showers on Sunday.
According to the RMC, the rainfall is attributed to a north-south trough extending from North Interior Karnataka to South Tamil Nadu at an altitude of 1.5 km above mean sea level. The weather department further stated that there will be no significant change in maximum temperatures until Sunday. However, temperatures are expected to rise by 2–3 degrees Celsius in isolated pockets of the state on Monday and Tuesday.
On Saturday, Erode recorded the highest maximum temperature at 38 degrees. Recently, the southern parts of Tamil Nadu witnessed an unseasonal spell of moderate to heavy rainfall, which helped lower temperatures in those regions.
Thoothukudi received the highest rainfall in the state, with 8 cm recorded in just 24 hours as of Saturday noon. The persistent rainfall led to waterlogging across the city, inundating arterial roads and even affecting public infrastructure such as the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital and the Thoothukudi South Police Station. Other areas that received light to moderate rainfall included Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, Papanasam, Ambasamudram, and Nanguneri, where rainfall ranged between 1 cm and 3.2 cm.
Ooty, the popular hill station, recorded around 2.8 cm of rain. In Tirunelveli district, rainfall for the 24 hours ending Saturday morning included 15 mm in Moolaikaraipattai, 10 mm in Nanguneri, 11 mm in Radhapuram, and 10 mm at the Nambiyar Dam. Additional rainfall figures included 5 mm in Papanasam, 2 mm each in Manjolai and Kakkachi, and 4 mm in both Nalumukku and Oothu.
In the Tenkasi district, Karuppanathi Dam recorded 3.5 mm of rainfall during the same period. Courtallam witnessed intermittent drizzles.
Across the Kanyakumari district, light drizzling was reported. Thiruparappu recorded 36.8 mm, while Kottaram, Mylaudy, Chittar-I, and Chittar-II (Sivalogam) reported 3.4 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.8 mm, and 4 mm respectively.
Tamil Nadu has recorded 14 per cent more rainfall than the seasonal average during the ongoing northeast monsoon. The state received 447 mm of rainfall, surpassing the seasonal norm of 393 mm. Chennai alone received 845 mm of rain, marking a 16 per cent increase above the average. Coimbatore also witnessed a significant rise in rainfall - 47 per cent more than usual.
These developments come in the aftermath of Cyclone Fengal, which wreaked havoc in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1, 2024. The cyclone brought torrential rains, followed by more showers from a low-pressure system over the southern Bay of Bengal. The disaster claimed 12 lives and submerged 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, affecting 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals.
With more rainfall forecast over the next two days, authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have urged residents to remain cautious.
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