Is Tamil Nadu Ready for an Early Southwest Monsoon?

Chennai, May 6 (NationPress) Tamil Nadu is gearing up for the early arrival of the southwest monsoon, which is anticipated to occur nearly 10 days earlier than usual this year, according to the meteorological office.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reports that favorable conditions have developed over the South Andaman Sea, the southeastern Bay of Bengal, and parts of the Nicobar Islands. This suggests that the southwest monsoon could commence around May 13—significantly ahead of the typical June start.

This early arrival is expected to provide relief from the severe heat currently affecting the state.

The RMC has also projected moderate thunderstorms and rainfall across areas including Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts in the upcoming days.

On Sunday, Chennai and surrounding regions experienced substantial rain coupled with thunderstorms and strong winds. Areas like Egmore, Perambur, Nungambakkam, Meenambakkam, Triplicane, Tondiarpet, Anna Nagar, Koyambedu, Velachery, Ambattur, and Avadi reported moderate to heavy showers.

The Nungambakkam weather station recorded 11 mm of rain, while Meenambakkam noted 8 mm.

The Weather Department attributes the current conditions to a north-south trough linked to a cyclonic circulation extending from northern Gangetic West Bengal to north coastal Andhra Pradesh, passing through coastal Odisha at approximately 0.9 km above mean sea level. For the next couple of days, light to moderate rainfall, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph), is predicted across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Heavy rain is also expected in certain southern and delta districts, including Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai, with some areas likely to experience significant downpours.

Meteorologists have noted that current forecasts indicate the system may shift towards Odisha and West Bengal, drawing winds from inland regions.

Tamil Nadu recently recorded a 14 percent surplus in rainfall during the northeast monsoon, with a total of 447 mm against an average of 393 mm. Chennai logged 845 mm—16 percent above normal—while Coimbatore noted a 47 percent increase.

These predictions follow the impact of Cyclone Fengal, which hit Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between November 29 and December 1, unleashing heavy rains. The cyclone resulted in 12 fatalities, inundated 2.11 lakh hectares of farmland, and affected 69 lakh families, impacting nearly 1.5 crore individuals. In response, the Centre allocated an additional Rs 522.34 crore in relief for Tamil Nadu and Rs 33.06 crore for Puducherry.