Chennai: The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued warnings for heavy rain for several coastal districts in Tamil Nadu over the next five days.
According to the weather department, heavy rainfall is expected in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, and Pudukkottai districts. On Monday, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, and Ramanathapuram are also likely to experience heavy rain.
The RMC has stated that heavy rains will continue across parts of Tamil Nadu throughout the week, lasting until Thursday.
On Tuesday, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Villupuram, and Cuddalore.
The forecast for Wednesday includes heavy rain in parts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, and Cuddalore. Additionally, the weather department has forecast heavy rainfall in the coming days for Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, and Sivagangai districts.
Officials noted that heavy rains expected in Chennai were delayed by a few days due to multiple vortex dynamics.
The RMC predicts heavy rainfall in Chennai and surrounding areas from November 11 to 17 and expects the rains to continue across Tamil Nadu over the next few weeks.
In seasonal data for the northeast monsoon (from October 1 to November 6), the RMC recorded 247 mm of rainfall in Tamil Nadu, 13 per cent above the normal 219 mm for this period. Coimbatore district saw the highest amount of rainfall, with 410 mm, which is 102 per cent above normal.
Following recent heavy rains, water levels in the Vaigai Dam have been rising, closely monitored by experts. The steady flow from the catchment areas and increased discharge from the Mullaperiyar Dam have contributed to this rise.
Over the past three days, the Vaigai Dam’s water level has reached 64.34 feet, approaching its full capacity of 71 feet. Officials from the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department stated that the first flood warning will be issued when the water level reaches 66 feet, the second at 68.5 feet, and the third at 69 feet. At that point, water will be released for irrigation in Madurai district.
The Vaigai Dam serves as the primary water source for districts such as Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram. The rising water levels have brought optimism to farmers in these areas
–IANS