Chennai likely to get rain over weekend, but not over 5 mm

Chennai likely to get rain over weekend, but not over 5 mm

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.02.2021

The cricket Tests ended just in time for the city to be treated to some showers. Weathermen have forecast light rain at the end of this week because of the easterlies strengthening in the presence of a cyclonic circulation.

While IMD has forecast light to moderate spells over a few places across the state, private forecasters and bloggers said Chennai and its suburbs may receive some spells at least for two days.

For the next 24 hours, IMD has forecast dry weather over Chennai and the rest of the state. The city and its neighbourhoods may record temperatures at a maximum of 31°C and a minimum of 22°C with partly cloudy skies. But by Friday, the agency has forecast light rain at isolated places over coastal Tamil Nadu while dry weather may prevail over rest of the state. On Saturday and Sunday, the intensity is likely to increase as light to moderate rain with thunderstorms have been forecast at a few places over the state. Experts said the spells would be due to a cyclonic circulation over southwest Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka ,which is likely to strengthen the incoming easterly winds to the state.

Skymet weather, in an online post, said rain and thundershowers are expected all along the coastline from Chennai to Kanyakumari between Friday and Sunday. “The quantum of rain is not going to exceed 5mm in this wet spell,” the forecaster also said.

Climatologically, the city is comparatively dry during February as it receives an average 3.4mm, which is the lowest amount of rainfall in the year.

Weather blogger Pradeep John in his post said the westerly trough, a region of elongated low pressure in the westerly winds, which usually affects north India may at times move down to south India bringing some weather activity. “Unlike monsoon spells, these rains are difficult to forecast as they do not occur in a widespread area,” he said. After Sunday, a prolonged dry spell till the end of February is likely.