Mild showers in parts of city bring relief to Chennaiites
The meteorological department stated that light to moderate rain is likely to continue in the city for the next two days
Representative Image (Justin George)
CHENNAI:Several areas in the city experienced a sudden downpour on Tuesday, providing public respite from the scorching heat.
This wet spell is likely to continue for the next two days due to a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal. Many areas, including OMR, Purasawalkam, Tondiarpet, Ayyanavaram, Guindy, Ekkatuthangal, Alandur, Kodambakkam, Pallavaram, and Tambaram, witnessed moderate showers, providing much-needed relief for Chennaiites from the intense heat recorded over the past few days. Minor waterlogging was reported on various interior roads in the city, leading to traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.
Various parts of the state received moderate to heavy rainfall. Among them, Kallakurichi recorded 9 cm of rain, and Tiruvarur received 6 cm. Several areas in Chennai, including Ennore Port, Nungambakkam, Meenambakkam, Anna University, and YMCA Nandanam, recorded 1 to 2 cm of rainfall.
For the next 48 hours, light to moderate rain along with thunderstorm activity is likely to occur over some areas of the city and its suburbs. This might slightly lower the mercury levels during the daytime, with temperatures expected to range from 32°C to 33°C.
An upper-air cyclonic circulation over the northeast Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal lying over the Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal at an altitude of 1.5 km above mean sea level triggered rainfall activity in the state, and a yellow warning has been issued for Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi districts on March 12. The rest of the state is likely to experience light to moderate rain over the next few days.
On the other hand, as rainfall activity is expected to gradually reduce after two to three days, dry weather is likely to prevail over isolated pockets of Tamil Nadu.
The RMC forecasts no big change in maximum temperatures over Tamil Nadu, but a decrease of 2°C to 3°C is expected in some areas over the next two days. Afterward, temperatures are expected to rise gradually by 2°C to 3°C from March 13 to 15.
