Intense Rainfall Expected in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Over the Coming Days
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Chennai, Dec 11 (NationPress) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has announced forecasts for heavy rainfall over the next four days in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The Weather Department has issued an orange alert for the districts of Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Pudukkottai, anticipating heavy to very heavy rainfall.
Additionally, the districts of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchy, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi, and Villupuram in Tamil Nadu are also forecasted to face significant rainfall.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Weather Department indicated that the likelihood of the existing low-pressure area developing into a storm is minimal.
The RMC reported that during the northeast monsoon (from October 1 to December 10), Tamil Nadu experienced a 14 percent increase in rainfall, totaling 447 mm versus an average of 393 mm.
Chennai recorded 845 mm of rainfall, which is 16 percent above average, while Coimbatore saw a staggering 47 percent increase compared to the average.
The weather authorities have advised fishermen to refrain from going out to sea, and those currently at sea are urged to return to shore without delay.
This alert comes in the wake of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Fengal, which impacted Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from November 29 to December 1.
The cyclone inflicted widespread damage, resulting in the loss of 12 lives and flooding 211,139 hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, leading to substantial losses for farmers.
Moreover, it caused extensive damage to infrastructure, affecting 1,649 kilometers of electric conductors, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 kilometers of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 water tanks.
The Tamil Nadu government reported that 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals were negatively impacted by the cyclone.
In response, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting Rs 2,000 crore as interim relief from the National Disaster Response Fund.
An initial damage assessment has estimated losses at Rs 2,475 crore for relief and reconstruction efforts.
The Central government has approved Rs 944 crore as interim aid for the affected areas.
