Weather: North Tamil Nadu districts, including Chennai, braces for heavy rainfall; IMD issues orange alert

Chennai and north Tamil Nadu are bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall on Wednesday, with the Indian Meteorological Department issuing an orange alert.

Chennai: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Chennai and several other districts in north Tamil Nadu, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall on Wednesday.

According to the IMD, the city and its suburbs can expect moderate to heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning on Tuesday. The sky will be partly cloudy, with maximum temperatures ranging from 29°C to 30°C and minimum temperatures between 22°C and 23°C.

A low-pressure system formed over the Bay of Bengal on Monday is expected to intensify and move towards Tamil Nadu in the next two days. This will bring heavy rainfall to north coastal districts, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, and Villupuram, between December 17 and 19.

The rain activity is expected to further push rain records in the city. Chennai has already recorded 98 cm of rainfall in Nungambakkam and 96 cm in Meenambakkam, exceeding the normal rainfall by 18 cm and 17 cm, respectively. Since October 1, Chennai has recorded 97 cm of rainfall, which is around 28 percent more than normal. Tamil Nadu as a whole has recorded 56 cm of rainfall, which is around 37% more than the normal rainfall.

All other districts in Tamil Nadu, except for Tuticorin, have recorded excess rainfall. The rain has been widespread, with many districts receiving heavy rainfall over the past few weeks.

According to blogger Pradeep John aka Tamil Nadu Weatherman, low-pressure system may not bring any rain to central and south coastal districts, which experienced heavy rainfall last week. He also warns that heavy rain will be pushed to Chennai if there is a delay in the incoming westerly trough.