Intense Rainfall Anticipated in Five Districts of Tamil Nadu on January 11

Chennai, Jan 8 (NationPress) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has announced that heavy rainfall is expected in the districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Pudukkottai on Saturday.

The Weather Department indicated that the anticipated rainfall will be caused by a cyclonic circulation located over northern Tamil Nadu and adjacent regions at an altitude of 3.1 km above mean sea level.

In addition, another circulation situated over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the neighboring equatorial Indian Ocean is also likely to enhance the rainfall.

Thunderstorms and lightning are forecasted to occur in isolated areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal on January 11 and 12.

The RMC has also projected ground frost in certain pockets within the higher hill ranges of the Nilgiris during the overnight hours of Wednesday (January 8) and Thursday (January 9).

On January 8 and 9, Chennai is expected to experience a maximum of 30 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 21 degrees Celsius. The city will be partly cloudy, with the possibility of mist or haze in the morning, as noted by the RMC.

Tamil Nadu recorded an excess of 14 percent rainfall during the northeast monsoon season, totaling 447 mm compared to the average of 393 mm.

Chennai alone received 845 mm of rainfall, marking a 16 percent increase above average, while Coimbatore experienced a staggering 47 percent rise.

The Cyclone Fengal, which impacted the region between November 29 and December 1, 2024, resulted in severe rainfall and extensive destruction throughout the state. This cyclone caused the loss of 12 lives and flooded 2,11,139 hectares of agricultural land, adversely affecting crops.

The cyclone also inflicted damage on infrastructure, impacting 1,649 kilometers of electrical lines, 23,664 electric poles, 997 transformers, 9,576 kilometers of roads, 1,847 culverts, and 417 tanks.

Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Kallakurichi districts saw more than 50 cm of rainfall in a single day, which is equivalent to the entire seasonal average.

The heavy rains during the northeast monsoon have increased water inflows into the state’s 90 reservoirs, elevating storage levels from 76.46 percent to 87.14 percent.

Areas such as Tenkasi, Theni, Virudhunagar, Ariyalur, Trichy, Karur, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram also witnessed significant increases in water storage levels.

In Tiruvannamalai, 507 out of 697 tanks are currently filled, along with 359 out of 578 tanks in Tiruvallur, 227 out of 336 tanks in Kallakurichi, and 460 out of 564 tanks in Chengalpattu.

However, flooding caused by Cyclone Fengal resulted in damage to several tanks and water bodies in northern districts, particularly in Villupuram.

The Water Resources Department (WRD) is currently executing temporary repairs on damaged tanks to maximize the capture of rainfall during the ongoing monsoon season. The calamity caused by Cyclone Fengal has severely affected 69 lakh families and 1.5 crore individuals across Tamil Nadu. The state government has estimated relief and reconstruction costs at Rs 2,475 crore. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has requested Rs 2,000 crore as interim relief from the National Disaster Response Fund, with the Central government having sanctioned Rs 944 crore thus far.