Red Alert for Tamil Nadu: Twin depressions to lash state
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has officially announced the formation of a low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal, a development that is set to significantly intensify the Northeast Monsoon across Tamil Nadu.
This system, which formed on Tuesday morning, is projected to move west-northwestwards and strengthen into a depression within the next 36 hours.
Compounding the weather activity, a separate and well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea is also expected to intensify, creating a potent twin-system influence.
The IMD has confirmed that these concurrent systems have caused the Northeast Monsoon to become more vigorous than initially forecast, prompting a series of heavy rainfall warnings for a wide range of districts in the state.
The IMD has issued a detailed seven-day weather outlook, with the most significant activity concentrated between October 22 and 24. On October 22, light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is expected across most of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal.
During this period, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Villupuram, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Tirupattur, Vellore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, and Pudukkottai districts, as well as in Puducherry and Karaikal.
The intense rainfall is forecast to continue on October 23, with heavy to very heavy rain likely in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Ranipet, and Vellore districts, accompanied by heavy rainfall in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Tirupattur.
By October 24, the heavy rainfall belt will extend to include Tirupattur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Erode, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, and Dharmapuri districts. The weather activity is then expected to gradually subside to light to moderate rainfall at a few places from October 25 onwards.