Heavy to very heavy rains have been predicted in several districts of Tamil Nadu till May 17, by the Regional Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest forecast on Saturday, May 14. The areas likely to get rains are Salem, Dharmapuri, Tiruchi, Peramballur, Namakkal, and Thanjavur, according to the forecast.
The IMD has also predicted moderate to heavy rain in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Kallakurichi, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tirupattur, and Vellore areas in the coming days. Thunderstorms with light to heavy rain are also predicted over Chennai and adjoining districts on these days, it added. The maximum temperature is likely to be around 34°C and the minimum at 24°C.
Velankanni received the highest amount of rainfall on Friday, May 13, followed by Talavadi in Erode and Yercaud in Salem. The Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary has sent directions to all district collectors, rapid response force, emergency departments, police, revenue, and health officials to be on high alert following the report from the weatherman.
Meanwhile, the IMD also announced that Kerala will be receiving the first showers of the Southwest monsoon by May 27, which is earlier than the normal onset date. The normal onset date for the monsoon over Kerala is June 1. The early arrival of the southwest monsoon comes at a time when parts of northwest India are experiencing extremely high maximum temperatures. Monsoon is likely to make an early onset over Andaman and Nicobar Islands by May 15, the weather office said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses an indigenously developed statistical model, with a model error of ± 4 days, to predict the onset of monsoons. At present, the IMD uses a criterion adopted in 2016 for declaring the onset of monsoon over Kerala, which was based on the daily rainfall of 14 stations over Kerala and the neighbouring area along with wind field and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) over the southeast Arabian Sea.
(With IANS inputs)