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Rains lash Chennai, waterlogging reported in several areas
The rains came after the northeast monsoon, a phenomenon which brings rainfall over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala during October to December, began.
Rains lashed parts of Chennai on Thursday leading to the inundation and water logging in several areas of the capital of Tamil Nadu. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted a ‘generally cloudy sky with heavy rain’ in the city on Thursday.
The rains came after the northeast monsoon, a phenomenon which brings rainfall over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala during October to December, began. The southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire country on Wednesday, 13 days after its normal date of retreat. The weather bureau said that a cyclonic circulation lies over southwest Bay of Bengal, off north Tamil Nadu coast in lower and mid tropospheric levels.
“Under its influence, scattered rainfall with moderate thunderstorm and lightning (is) very likely over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next five days with isolated heavy rainfall over south Tamil Nadu during the next two days and over south Kerala during the next 24 hours,” IMD has said.
Dry weather is expected over the rest of the country during the next four to five days. There were three low pressure areas -- cyclonic circulation and first stage of any cyclone -- in the Bay of Bengal in October. One of them intensified into a deep depression and crossed the peninsula unleashing its fury over Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa and leaving a trail of destruction, damaging property and crops. The second one developed into a depression bringing rains over West Bengal and the northeastern states last week.
The southwest monsoon made an onset over Kerala on June 1, its normal annual onset date. Its timely onset was aided by cyclone Nisarga. The monsoon covered the entire country by June 26, twelve days ahead of its normal date of July 8. Its withdrawal was also late. The southwest monsoon retreated from west Rajasthan and parts of Punjab on September 28, eleven days after its normal withdrawal date.
The normal date for the monsoon to retreat from the country is October 15.
(With agency inputs)
