Depression may intensify into cyclone, bring heavy rainfall

Depression may intensify into cyclone, bring heavy rainfall

Southern Districts To Get Drenched

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.12.2020

A week after Cyclone Nivar made landfall near Marakkanam, another cyclonic storm may cross Tamil Nadu bringing widespread rainfall in the state, including heavy rainfall in southern districts from December 1.

Weathermen have forecast that the a depression which has formed over Bay of Bengal on Monday, may intensify into a cyclonic storm in 24 hours crossing north Sri Lanka, Comorin area and south Kerala. If it strengthens into a cyclone, it would be called Cyclone Burevi, a name given by Maldives used to refer black mangroves. The system may bring heavy rainfall in parts of southern districts of Tamil Nadu like Kanykumari, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli, which have deficit rainfall so far this northeast monsoon season, and light to moderate rains in Chennai and its suburbs from December 1.

As on 8pm on Monday, IMD said the depression over southeast Bay of Bengal has moved westwards at 7kmph speed in six hours and centered over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 640km east-southeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and 1,040km east of Kanyakumari. It is likely to intensify into a deep depression in the next 12 hours and a cyclonic storm in the subsequent 12 hours. “It is very likely to move west-northwest and cross Sri lanka coast close to Trincomalee during December 2 evening/night and westwards thereafter emerging into the Comorin area on December 3 morning,” said IMD’s evening bulletin.

Starting from December 1, the system is likely to bring heavy rain at isolated places over Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts, and Karaikal. The intensity of rainfall is likely to increase on December 2 and 3 to extremely heavy rain at isolated places over Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari and Ramanathapuram districts and heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Pudukottai, Sivagangai, Virudhunagar, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area. Parts of Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts are likely to get heavy spells. Chennai and suburbs are likely to receive thunderstorms with light to moderate rain with sky conditions generally cloudy for the next 48 hours. Temperatures are likely to hover around a maximum of 30 deg C and a minimum of 24 deg C. M Rajeevan, secretary, ministry of earth sciences under which IMD functions tweeted, “As per present model forecasts, it (the system) may not be severe like Nivar.”

Squally winds could reach 45-55kmph, gusting to 65kmph over Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and south Tamil Nadu-Kerala coast from December 2 noon and gradually increase to 55-65kmph gusting to 75kmph over these regions from December 3 morning.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said the system, while crossing the TN coast could pull the easterlies into the land bringing rainfall to Chennai and its neighbouring districts. “We will have rain from December 2 to 6. Historically, any weather system crossing the Gulf of Mannar has brought widespread rainfall including in Chennai. We have seen it in Cyclone Nisha in 2008 and during a low pressure in November 2017,” he said.

IMD PROJECTION: Expected path of the depression, according to the India Meteorological Department