Monsoon onset, depression may disrupt holiday plans

CHENNAI: Though S Balachandran, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology of Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said the initial phase of the monsoon was likely to be weak in general, the RMC issued an update later in the day forecasting the possibility of a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

The Centre said the cyclonic circulation over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to move northwestwards. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over central parts of the Bay of Bengal by October 21, and it is likely to concentrate into a depression over west-central Bay of Bengal around October 23.

This coincides with the Pooja festival and is thus likely to ruin the holiday plans of several people.

Meanwhile, the Met department said that the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the remaining parts of the country on Thursday. Tamil Nadu received about eight per cent more rainfall this year.

Weathermen said the State recorded 354 mm of rainfall this year against the average of 328 mm. The variation was significant in Chennai, which received 779 mm of rain against the average of 448 mm – a substantial jump of 74 percent more than average.

In the State’s neighbourhood, the low-pressure area over the southeast-adjoining east-central Arabian Sea lay over southeast is likely to move nearly west-northwestwards and become a well-marked low-pressure area and concentrate into a depression over southwest and adjoining west-central Arabian Sea around October 21.

Under the impact of these weather conditions, light to moderate rain is likely to occur at a few places over several parts of the State, while the sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy in Chennai. Light rain is likely to occur in some areas, and the maximum temperature is likely to be around 34-35 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature around 25-26 degrees Celsius.