Several places in Tamil Nadu including Chennai city and its suburbs experienced welcome showers on June 18 morning bringing down the high temperatures felt over the past few days. The neighbouring Puducherry too received rains.
According to data from various stations, till 10.45 a.m. Chennai (Nungambakkam) recorded 2 mm of rain, Ennore recorded 4.5 mm of rain, Tirur in Tiruvallur district 1.5 mm and Maraimalai Nagar 5 mm.
Other stations including Polur in Tiruvannamalai recorded 38.2 mm, Ambur in Tirupattur district 11.2 mm, Nedungal in Krishnagiri 14 mm, Sholayar in Coimbatore registered 14 mm, Manjalar in Theni saw 8 mm, Nagapattinam 5.9 mm and Pechiparai in Kanniyakumari 6.3 mm.
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 rains will persist for 2-3 days,” he said.
The Met Office had forecast light to moderate rain in many places with thunderstorms and lightning in one or two areas likely to occur over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on June 18.
Heavy rain was also likely to occur at isolated places over Vellore, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupattur, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchi and Mayiladuthurai districts and Puducherry.
