Chennai, July 17 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpet districts, forecasting heavy rainfall of 6 to 12 cm on Thursday.
The alert comes as a welcome relief for residents who have been experiencing hot and dry conditions over the past several days.
A yellow alert, as per the IMD, suggests the possibility of moderate rainfall. While not severe, it might cause localised flooding in low-lying areas or disrupt outdoor activities.
According to the IMD, the rainfall is expected to be accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, particularly during the evening or night hours. This may help bring down daytime temperatures on subsequent days due to increased cloud cover.
The maximum temperature is likely to be around 35-36 degrees Celsius, with a minimum of 26 -27 degrees Celsius.
Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram are expected to continue receiving heavy showers between July 18 and 20.
Several districts in northern Tamil Nadu are also likely to receive significant rainfall during this period, while districts near the Western Ghats have been placed under an orange alert for very heavy rainfall (6 cm to 20 cm) on July 19 and 20.
Meteorologists attributed the rainfall to convective activity caused by wind convergence due to an upper air circulation.
Weather bloggers have also indicated that thunderstorm activity is expected to persist in Chennai and surrounding suburbs in the coming days.
“One or two spells of moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms and lightning are likely over the city and suburbs on Thursday,” said the IMD bulletin.
It added that the sky will remain partly cloudy. It may be recalled that on Wednesday, however, the weather remained dry and humid, with Nungambakkam recording a maximum of 36.4 degrees -- 1 degree above normal -- and Meenambakkam registering a scorching 38.1 degrees -- 2.5 degrees above normal.
Humidity levels were between 59 per cent and 65 per cent. Districts, including Chennai, which witnessed multiple dry days, are likely to experience frequent thunderstorms in the days ahead.
Despite recent dry spells, Chennai has received about 15 cm of rainfall since June 1 -- 26 per cent above normal. In contrast, Tamil Nadu as a whole has recorded 7 cm of rainfall, 13 per cent below the seasonal average.
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