CHENNAI : It was a typical monsoon day for Chennaites on Tuesday with steady rain lashing the city from afternoon. By 11pm, Nungambakkam recorded 55 mm rainfall and was on the verge of breaking the July 3 record of 60mm to become the wettest day of the year. Going by the forecast, Chennai seems to be on course to breach the 100mm rainfall received in 24 hours. The all-time record for August is 156.2mm rainfall received on August 25, 2011.
It’s very rare for Chennai to receive rain during Southwest monsoon. It has always been convectional rainfall. Noted weather blogger Pradeep John says these rare rain is the result of well marked low pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and perfect convergence of winds. Meteorological department officials said city would receive rain until Wednesday. The forecast says the low pressure area is likely to concentrate into a depression during the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, the Met department has issued heavy to very heavy rainfall warning to ghat areas of The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Dindigul and Tirunelveli districts. The ghat areas have already started receiving heavy downpour.
In the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Tuesday, Valparai in Coimbatore received 180 mm rainfall followed by Chinnakallar 170 mm. State officials said Bhavanisagar dam in Erode, Papanasam dam in Tirunelveli and Periyar Dam in Theni would be reaching their full capacity in a day or two.