Days after Cyclone Gaja wreaked havoc in the Delta districts of Tamil Nadu, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rains in the region. According to a bulletin released by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Chennai, isolated heavy rain is expected to occur over Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram districts on Monday.
“The low pressure area over Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean now lies as a well marked low pressure area over Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal and Equatorial Indian Ocean on 19th November 2018. It is likely to concentrate into a Depression during next 24 hours and move towards Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast around 20th November 2018,” states the bulletin.
The weather report also has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in scattered areas in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Tuesday and isolated heavy to very heavy rains in both states on Wednesday. The 48-hour weather bulletin for Chennai reads, “The sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy. Rain or thundershower is likely to occur. Maximum and Minimum temperatures are likely to be around 30 and 23 deg Celsius respectively”
The Met Department has also issued an advisory to the fishermen to not venture into Southwest Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean on November 19 and also in Gulf of Mannar on November 20.
The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority also put out a tweet on Monday with the details of the depression over Bay of Bengal.
Bulletin No.62- #GajaCyclone The deep depression is likely to move westwards and weaken into a well marked low pressure area during next 48 hours and the well marked low pressure area over south of BoB is likely to intensify into a depression over SW BoB during next 24 hrs. pic.twitter.com/tUywAdrvnV
— TN SDMA (@tnsdma) November 19, 2018
This spell of rains comes immediately after Cyclone Gaja hit the TN coast and the Cauvery delta districts in the wee hours of November 16. Normal life has been hit in those districts with electricity poles and trees uprooted in the gale winds that blew on November 16. Many people in delta districts like Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur have lost their livelihood since their survival depended on coconut farming.