Fairly widespread rain may continue over the State during the weekend. However, rainfall may be of light to moderate intensity in several places, and only one or two areas in the southern parts may record heavy rain, the Meteorological Department has said.
After intense rainfall last month, the State may largely experience a dip in the next few days.
The season’s first cyclonic storm, ‘Jawad’, may intensify and reach west central Bay of Bengal, off the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts, by Saturday. However, it may not have any direct impact on Tamil Nadu.
In the past 24 hours, ending 8.30 a.m. on Friday, Ayikudi in Tenkasi district recorded 8 cm of rain — the highest for the day in the State. A few other weather stations, particularly in the southern parts of the State, received moderate rain. Coonoor and Valparai received light rain of 2 cm on Friday, between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.
Kanniyakumari and Tirunelveli may see thunderstorms with heavy rain in one or two places on Saturday. Several other southern districts and those along the Western Ghats and its neighbouring districts may get moderate rainfall. Isolated light rain may occur in the north coastal belt and Puducherry. Similarly, on Sunday, Salem, Erode, Namakkal and Tiruppur are likely to get isolated heavy rain.
The same weather pattern may continue next week, and dry weather may prevail in the northern parts. S. Balachandran, deputy director general of meteorology, Chennai, said wind convergence over south Tamil Nadu and convective activity would largely ensure wet weather over the State for the next few days.
The cyclonic storm will not have much impact on the State. There may be a drop in the minimum temperature in some north coastal and interior districts due to a change in wind direction when the system approaches the coast. An easterly wave may bring some rain after December 10. But weather models are being monitored for further increase in rain, he said.
The Meteorological Department has forecast a maximum temperature of 31 degrees Celsius, till Sunday, for Chennai. The city has recorded excess rainfall for the year. It has so far recorded 203 cm of rain, as against its yearly share of 140 cm. Similarly, Meenambakkam has got 197 cm this year, against its annual average of 138 cm.
