T.N. Rains | Red alert issued for Cauvery delta districts, Cuddalore today

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai has issued a red alert warning for Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Karaikal on Friday. It has withdrawn its earlier warning issued for Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Ranipet districts.

Speaking to presspersons on Friday, Additional Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, S. Balachandran said that light to moderate rain can be expected at most places with isolated thunderstorms and lightning likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. The State will receive widespread rain for three more days.

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tiruvallur, Chennai, Vellore, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Puducherry, Kallaikurichi, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchi, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts.

Heavy rain is likely to occur over isolated places at Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Theni, Madurai, Dindigul, Karur, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Erode and The Nilgiris districts.

This is due to the low-pressure area (LPA) over the Southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lankan coast, which has now become a well-marked LPA over the Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of northeast Sri Lanka with an associated upper air circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level.

The well-marked LPA is very likely to move northwestwards towards Tamil Nadu­ and Puducherry coasts until Saturday morning. Thereafter, it is likely to move west ­northwestwards across Tamil Nadu­ and Puducherry and Kerala during Saturday and Sunday and emerge into the southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea as a Low-Pressure Area/ upper air circulation on Sunday, said Mr. Balachandran.

Light to moderate rain on Saturday

For Saturday, the Met department has forecast light to moderate rain at most places with isolated thunderstorms and lightning likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal areas. Scattered heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur over Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Puducherry, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni and Tenkasi districts.

Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Tiruchi, Karur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts.

Rainfall data

Many places in the State recorded overnight rainfall: here is the data recorded in the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. Friday:

Kollidam in Mayiladuthurai district – 11 cm, Parangipettai in Cuddalore district – 10 cm, Chidambaram 9 cm; Cuddalore, Velankanni, and Sirkali 8 cm each; Taramani in Chennai district, Sembanarkoil, Annamalai Nagar, Thalaignayer in Nagapattinam district, Cuddalore district Collectorate, Ponneri in Tiruvallur district, Karaikal, Tirupoondi in Nagapattinam district, Puducherry, Mamallapuram, Vedaranyam, Mayiladuthurai, Chennai – Nungambakkam, Kattukuppam in Kancheepuram district and Villivakkam in Tiruvallur district – 7 cm each;

Chennai Airport, Cholavaram in Tiruvallur district, Nagapattinam, Thirukuvalai, Tondiarpet, Chidambaram, Ambattur, Poonamallee, Nandanam and ACS Medical College in Kancheepuram district 6 cm each; Red Hills in Tiruvallur district, Chembarambakkam, Ayanavaram Taluk Office in Chennai district, Koratur, Thamaraipakkam, Anna University, Kuppanatham, Avadi, Sathyabama University, and Pallikaranai 5 cm each.