Northeast Monsoon Drenches Tamil Nadu, More Heavy Rain On The Way

The Northeast Monsoon has arrived, bringing widespread rainfall across Tamil Nadu, especially in the northern, western, and southern districts.

The Chennai Regional Meteorological Department has warned that a new low-pressure system is likely to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal around October 21, expected to move west-northwest and intensify. Meanwhile, another low-pressure area has already formed over the southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep region near Kerala and Karnataka, and is likely to develop into a depression within 48 hours.

In the last 24 hours, Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar district recorded 18 cm of rainfall, Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur and Thekkadi in Theni received 16 cm each, while Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi recorded 12 cm. Chennai city also received some relief from the heat, with showers bringing 3 to 4 cm of rainfall across the city overnight.

The RMC has forecast heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu for the next seven days. For the next 24 hours, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at isolated places in the Ghat areas of Coimbatore and Nilgiris districts. Heavy rain is also expected in districts including Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Karur, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur.

Due to the possibility of a new low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal around October 22, Chennai and surrounding districts, including Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Ranipet, and Puducherry, are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations on October 23.

The Tamil Nadu government is also gearing up for the monsoon, with Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin reviewing preparedness measures at Chennai Corporation's Integrated Command and Control Centre on October 15. NDRF teams are on standby, with 30 personnel in five teams at Arakonam, and additional teams ready in Chennai and Tirunelveli.

The NDRF says, “All life-saving equipment, rubber boats, ropes, sniffer dogs, and deep-water rescue divers are on standby. A 24×7 control room is operational at both state and district levels, coordinating closely with NDRF teams.”