The India Meterological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rain at one or two places over coastal and delta districts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on Monday. Thunderstorm and lightning is likely at one or two places over the State and Puducherry.
The showers brought in by the cyclonic circulation lying over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal between 3.1 km and 5.8 km above mean sea level, is likely to bring down temperatures.
On Monday, Chennai city will have generally cloudy skies with maximum temperature around 28 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature at 25 degrees Celsius.
The Regional Meteorological Centre said that conditions were favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some more parts of south peninsular India in the next 2-3 days.
Senior meteorologist Y.E.A. Raj said this rain had been forecast a few days ago and was due to the upper air cyclonic circulation over the southeast Bay of Bengal now seen at 3.1 km above mean sea level. “Such a circulation in the southern Bay is a rare phenomenon in June, July and August. The rain will persist for 2-3 days,” he said.
On Sunday, the showers and cloudy skies brought down temperatures in many places in the coastal and delta districts. The observatory at Nungambakkam recorded 32 degrees Celsius as against 37.2 degrees Celsius normal temperature. Similarly, Vellore recorded 31.8 degrees Celsius (less than 4.4 degrees Celsius of normal temperature), Meenambakkam 30.1 degrees Celsius (-7.4 degrees Celsius of normal temperature), Cuddalore 29.5 degrees Celsius (-7.6 degrees Celsius) and Nagapattinam 28.1 degrees Celsius (-8.6 degrees Celsius).
Palayamkottai recorded the highest temperature in the State at 36.5 degrees Celsius as against the normal temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius.
Between 8.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. on Sunday, various stations recorded light to moderate rainfall. Chidambaram recorded 14.5 mm rain followed by Cuddalore 10 mm, Valparai 8.8 mm, Sathyabama University in Kancheepuram district 8 mm, Chennai Airport 7.8 mm, Kodaikanal 7 mm, Chembarambakkam in Kancheepuram district 6.5 mm, West Tambaram 6 mm, Nagapattinam 6 mm, Chennai 5.5 mm, Nungambakkam 5.4 mm, MRC Nagar in Taramani in Chennai 4.5 mm, Kattapakkam in Kancheepuram district 4 mm and Vellore 2 mm.
