The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the intensification of a depression in the Southwest Bay of Bengal into a deep depression within the next 12 hours. The system is expected to move north-northwestwards towards the Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu coasts over the next two days, triggering heavy to extreme rainfall in Tamil Nadu's Delta districts and Puducherry.
From Tuesday morning, several parts of Chennai plunged into darkness and has started to experience widespread rainfall.
In anticipation of the downpour, educational institutions in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal have been closed on Tuesday. District Collectors of these regions declared holidays for schools and colleges.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued red alerts for Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Karaikal districts on Tuesday, predicting extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 20.4 cm, as per a report on IANS. Similar alerts are in place for Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, and Karaikal districts on Wednesday. Similarly, orange alerts have been issued for Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, and Puducherry, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall (11.56 cm to 20.44 cm) at isolated places on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, yellow alerts have been issued for Ramanathapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Kallakurichi, and Chengalpattu districts.
The India Meteorological Centre said, "The Depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0000 UTC of today, the 26th November 2024 over the Southwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 6.0°N and longitude 82.9°E, about 340 km south-southeast of Trincomalee (43418), 630 km south-southeast of Nagapattinam (43347), 750 km south-southeast of Puducherry (43331) and 830 km south-southeast of Chennai (43279)."
"It is likely to move nearly north-northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression during next 12 hours. Thereafter, it is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards towards Sri Lanka - Tamil Nadu coasts during subsequent 2 days," it said.
Rain Forecast
In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, IMD said, light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur in most areas with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall expected on November 26 and 27. In south coastal Andhra Pradesh, light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy showers is expected from November 26 to 28.
The IMD also predicted rough to very rough sea conditions along the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and the Southwest Bay of Bengal until November 29. Fishermen are advised against venturing into these regions and the west-central Bay of Bengal during this period.