Rain to return
Rainfall intensity is likely to increase over the next two days, with IMD issuing a yellow alert for heavy rain (6-12cm in 24 hours) in 15 districts — including Kancheepuram and Chengalpet — on Thursday and 29 districts — including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet — on Friday. An orange alert has been issued for heavy to very heavy rain (12-20cm) in districts along the Western Ghats on Thursday. V R Durai, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, said steady northeasterly winds up to 1.5km above the surface and rainfall along coastal areas indicated favourable conditions for the monsoon onset. Tamil Nadu received 261.3mm of rain against a normal 328.4mm during the June-Sept southwest monsoon, a 20% deficit. Chennai’s five key drinking-water reservoirs held about 33.7% of their combined capacity on Wednesday, making the northeast monsoon crucial for replenishing the city’s water supply. Chennai gets about 87cm, around 60% of its annual total.
“The rainfall won’t be continuous, and depends on the position of the trough.
It is a typical northeast monsoon pattern, and it may continue for the next two weeks,” said weather blogger Pradeep John. Tamil Nadu receives around 45cm of rain during Oct-Dec, nearly half its annual rainfall. “Sudden spells of rain, bright sunshine and sudden spells of rain again. The rainfall intensity may be slightly higher at nights and early morning.
Chennai: City residents woke up to sudden spells of rain on Wednesday, interspersed with sunshine and cloudy skies. Meteorologists expect intermittent rain and cloudy skies to persist over the next two weeks as conditions become favourable for the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon and the simultaneous onset of the northeast monsoon on Thursday.