Chennai: In a record of sorts, Tamil Nadu witnessed the third highest wettest August in 122 years.
Heavy rain have been battering several districts of theState for the last few days and the Chennai City andsuburbs received incessant rains yesterday bringingthe mercury level down, even as people woke upto bright sunshine on Friday morning.
Met office sources said here that Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry recorded 40 cm of rain, which is 88% more than the average rainfall for the southwest monsoon season from June to August 31.
In all, 18 districts, including Coimbatore and Namakkal,have received more than 100% excess rainfall for theseason.
In August alone, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry received 17.4 cm of rain, which was 93% higher than the normalaverage rainfallThis is the third rainiest August in 122 years. Tamil Nadu recorded 112% surplus rain in August in 1906 and 127%excess rain in August in 1909.
Several weather factors, including moisture convergence,contributed to such a phenomenal rainfall.According to IMD data, Theni district recorded 292% higherrainfall, followed by Thoothukudi (188%), Tiruppur (177%),Nilgiris (155%) and Perambalur (155%). Chengalpattu,Kallakurichi, Kanniyakumari and Karaikal have recorded lower-than-usual rainfall.
While Chennai recorded 15% more rainfall than usual forthe three-month period, it was 24% less for the month ofAugust.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran saidnine people have died in rain-related incidents so far and31 relief camps were set up in Erode, Karur, Krishnagiri,Mayiladuthurai, Namakkal and the Nilgiris district.
Thanks to the copious rainfall, most of the dams includingthe Mettur reservoir, the lifeline for farmers in the deltadistricts, have reached their full capacity.
Met office said while there may be a slight dip in rainfalltoday and tomorrow, the intensity of the rain is expectedto pick up momentum from Sunday and it is likely tocontinue for the next 4-5 days. (UNI)
