CHENNAI: Finally, after a prolonged delay and sultry weather, the northeast monsoon (NEM) is all set to set in over Tamil Nadu in two days.
S Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, said that conditions are becoming favourable for the commencement of NEM over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and adjoining areas of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka during next 48 hours.
Officials said there is a trough of low and upper air cyclonic circulation over the southwest Bay of Bengal adjoining Sri Lanka and over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay and coastal areas of south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh between 3.1 and 5.8 ko above mean sea level. The easterly winds are strengthening. “There should not be any further delay,” a met official said.
In October, Tamil Nadu received 12 per cent deficit rainfall and 16 districts, including Chennai, are reeling under deficit. The city has received 52 per cent less rainfall. It received 121.3 mm rainfall as against 252.7 mm.
Met officials said the sky condition was likely to be generally cloudy with one or two spells of rain or thundershower in some areas in Chennai. As for rainfall in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Tuesday, only four stations — Ennore, Kelambakkam, Mahabalipuram, Chennai and Taramani — recorded 1 cm of rainfall.