Cyclone Burevi weakened into a deep depression at 5.30 p.m. on Thursday. The deep depression will move west-southwestwards and cross the Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi districts between Thursday night and Friday morning, with a wind speed of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph.
It is very likely to further weaken into a depression, with a wind speed of 40-50 kmph, by Friday morning.
S. Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, said the weather system’s interaction with land mass had slowed its movement and intensity. It will now cause less damage. Beside southern parts of Tamil Nadu, central parts of the State, too, would get good rain.
“We expect places like Tiruchi, Kallakurichi, Pudukkottai and Thanjavur to get good rain. The rainfall belt has even extended to the northern parts of the State. While Cyclone Nivar had benefited the northern region, this system will help wipe out the rain deficit in the central and southern parts.”
In the past 24 hours, ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday, most places in Tamil Nadu registered rainfall. Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district registered very heavy rain of up to 20 cm, followed by Karaikal with 16 cm of rainfall.
The single day’s rainfall helped to bring down the State’s overall rain deficit by 4%. On Thursday, Tamil Nadu’s overall rainfall was 32.4 cm, which is 12% short of the normal seasonal rainfall since October 1.
On the ensuing weather systems, Mr. Balachandran said it was only a cyclonic circulation over the Malay Peninsula, extending up to 5.8 km above the mean sea level. “It is located south of Sri Lanka. It may not have much impact over Tamil Nadu. We are tracking the weather disturbances,” he said.
Some parts of Chennai continued to receive rain on Thursday. The Meteorological Department has forecasted thunderstorms, with intermittent to moderate rain, in the city till Saturday.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami over the phone on Thursday and assured all possible help from the Centre.
“Have spoken to Tamil Nadu CM Shri @EPSTamilNadu and Kerala CM Shri @vijayanpinarayi in the wake of Cyclone Burevi. Modi government is committed for all possible support to help people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Several teams of NDRF are already deployed in both the states,” Mr. Shah tweeted later.
