More rain expected in the next 48 hours

More rain expected in the next 48 hours

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

07.01.2021

After rain clouds moved over north Tamil Nadu and dumped nearly 148mm of rainfall in the heart of the city in two days, weathermen have forecast more rainfall for Chennai and its neighbouring regions over the next 48 hours.

While the intensity of rain may be less, private forecasters and bloggers said the city and its suburbs could begin getting the next round of near-intense spells from January 9.

N Puviarasan, director of the Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said light to moderate rain is likely in some areas, while the skies may be generally cloudy for the next 48 hours. Temperatures are likely to be at a maximum of 29 deg C and a minimum of 24 deg C. “This is due to the easterly wave,” he said. Such waves are a type of an atmospheric trough, which is a low pressure over a larger region. As they move from east to west, low-level winds or opposing winds enter the trough, converge and cause convection.

Chennai subdivision has so far recorded 160.6mm rainfall since January 1 against a normal 4.7mm. This in-cludes Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam stations registering 147.8mm and 170.8mm in the last two days. The northeast monsoon spill over this month comes after it left an 33% excess rainfall during peak rainy season in 2020 with 1040.8mm against an average 784mm. Last year, the city recorded a 16% surplus rainfall before the onset of southwest monsoon in the rest of the country with 53.4mm against a normal of 46.1mm. This took the annual 2020 rainfall in Chennai to a 21% excess with 1,572.3mm against a normal of 1,303.9mm.

Outside the city, Kelambakkam rec-orded the highest spell of around 262mm in the last two days.

Skymet Weather, in its post, said an-other heavy spell is likely in the city and suburbs as well as for north coastal regions of Tamil Nadu around January 9 and 10.

Blogger Pradeep John, in his post, said for the next two days the rainfall in-tensity in Chennai and neighbouring Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Chengelpet may reduce. “Rainfall will pick up from January 9 to 12. But that too may be on and off spells,” he said. “Delta region may see good rainfall in this period. Might turn out to be heavy,” he added.