Northeast monsoon to begin in TN today, four districts under orange alert

Chennai, Oct 15 (IANS) The northeast monsoon is expected to set in over Tamil Nadu on Thursday, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting very heavy rainfall in four districts and heavy rain in 15 others.

According to the forecast issued by the Chennai meteorological centre, the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni and Virudhunagar districts are likely to receive very heavy rain. An orange alert has been issued for these four districts as the seasonal rains begin.

The weather department said heavy rainfall was also likely in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Cuddalore, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Kallakurichi, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Tiruppur and Dindigul districts on Thursday.

Several other parts of Tamil Nadu could experience moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds, the meteorological centre said.

The onset of the northeast monsoon is expected to bring rainfall across different regions of the state, with the forecast indicating that heavy rain could extend to more districts on Friday.

For Friday, the department has predicted heavy rainfall in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts.

Heavy rain is also forecast in Tiruchirappalli, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts on Friday. Chennai and its neighbouring districts are also expected to receive heavy rainfall on Friday. The department has issued a warning covering Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu, along with Ranipet, Cuddalore and Mayiladuthurai.

In all, the forecast identifies 29 districts where heavy rainfall is possible on Friday, compared with the four districts facing very heavy rain and 15 districts expecting heavy rain on Thursday.

The warnings indicate a wider spread of rainfall on the second day, covering the western districts, the southern belt, the Cauvery delta and northern coastal areas, including the state capital.

While Thursday’s orange alert applies specifically to the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni and Virudhunagar, the forecast for other districts distinguishes between heavy rainfall and the moderate showers expected elsewhere.

The meteorological centre’s two-day outlook places several districts under rain warnings on consecutive days. These include Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Theni, Virudhunagar, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari, as well as parts of the delta and northern Tamil Nadu.

The forecast for Chennai places the city among districts expecting heavy rain on Friday, while Thursday’s most intense rainfall warning is concentrated in four other districts.

–IANS

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