Mornings likely to be misty in coastal TN dists

CHENNAI: The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) on Saturday stated that various parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, are likely to witness a drop in maximum temperature for the next two days due to a change in wind pattern over the sea.

The temperature level is expected to decrease by one to two degrees Celsius than normal in the coming days.

The depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal moved east-northeastwards with a speed of 8 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred over the same region on Saturday.

It is about 430 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 490 km east-northeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 580 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha).

The system is likely to move slowly east-northeastwards maintaining its intensity as a depression for the next six hours and weaken gradually thereafter over the sea.

The depression over the Bay of Bengal has changed the wind flow pattern and the coastal districts have been witnessing northerly winds.

"Several districts might witness a drop in the maximum temperature level due to changes in weather conditions with cloudy skies, however, it is not abnormal as of now. Haze or mist is likely to prevail in the State especially coastal districts of Tamil Nadu during the early morning hours," said a senior official with RMC.

Additionally, the current system prevailing over the sea might trigger light to moderate rainfall in the coming days. As per extended range predictions by dynamical models, near normal to slightly below normal rainfall is likely over the south coastal and Delta districts of Tamil Nadu.

Also, near-normal to slightly above-normal rainfall is likely over the rest of the state till December 26.

As far as Chennai is concerned, some areas might witness mild showers for the next two days. Haze/mist will likely prevail in the early morning hours in the coming days. On Saturday, the city and suburbs recorded 31.2 degrees Celsius and 31.7 degrees Celsius respectively.