Wet Deepavali likely over Tamil Nadu; RMC forecasts widespread rainfall next week

A rainy Deepavali is expected in Tamil Nadu as widespread rains will cover a large part of the state and may be heavy in many areas from October 19 onwards. Under the influence of the low pressure area formed in the Bay of Bengal, heavy showers are expected to shift to the northern coastal regions from October 22.

Multiple weather systems, supported by the strong Northeast monsoon, are expected to bring widespread rainfall next week as well.

In the last 24 hours until 8.30 am on Saturday, five meteorological stations received very heavy rainfall, while heavy rainfall was recorded in 40 places. Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar district received the heaviest rainfall in the state at 18 cm. Similar rainfall patterns continued on Saturday.

A trough stretching between two other weather systems in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, which has the potential to turn into a depression, has affected widespread and heavy showers in several parts of the state, Regional Meteorological Center officials said. Another cyclonic circulation over the Gulf of Mannar will also sustain the wet weather.

The low pressure evident over the southeastern Arabian Sea, which is likely to turn into a depression in the early hours of Deepavali day, will affect heavy rains in areas along the Western Ghats and extreme southern TN on Sunday. On October 20, heavy showers will cover 20 districts, including the delta and the north coast of TN.

After heavy showers in southern Tamil Nadu and Western Ghats this week, rains are expected to hit north coastal TN from October 22. A low pressure area likely to form over the southeastern Bay of Bengal on October 21 is expected to gain strength as a depression by October 23.

B.Amudha, Chairman (Additional Officer), RMC, said that the weather system being organized may bring heavy rains to the northern coastal region between October 22 and October 24. Six districts, including Chennai and its district, are likely to receive very heavy rainfall of up to 24 cm on October 22 and 23.

“We will monitor the system to further intensify it. When the rainfall intensity is high in some districts, heavy downpours may spread to surrounding districts depending on the movement of weather systems,” he said.