Northern parts of Tamil Nadu is in for a few days of wet spell as a depression in the southwestern Bay of Bengal seems to move towards the coast between Chennai and Nagapattinam. Southern parts of Andhra Pradesh are also likely to experience rains.
The system, which was 650 km east-southeast of Chennai on Wednesday afternoon, is expected to make a landfall between Chennai and Nagapattinam on Friday night or Saturday morning.
“The system is expected to make landfall as a depression or a deep depression. As things stand now, it is unlikely to intensify into a cyclone,” said YEA Raj, Deputy Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai. Data from the OCEANSAT-2 satellite has also indicated that though some factors are favourable for the intensification of the depression, other factors could prevent it.
The forecast has said heavy to very heavy rain could lash a majority of places in the area of the depression, with extremely heavy rain (25 cm and above) in isolated instances. “Rainfall would be more to the north of the landfall point,” said Raj, adding that greater clarity would emerge by Thursday evening on the status of the depression and its predicted path.
The Multi-model Ensemble Track Prediction of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the depression would make landfall between Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. Officials, however, said there is a possibility the storm deviating from this path in a northwesterly direction.
Either way, Chennai and its surrounding areas would definitely receive rain, the officials said.
Meanwhile, in Cuddalore, first-level cyclone warning signal has been hoisted at the port on Wednesday.
Sea conditions are expected to be rough and fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea.