CHENNAI: Now the northeast monsoon has made a grand entry, with thrashing spells of rainfall triggering a flood of year-end memories. Rains have been lashing the city since Monday morning and are expected to continue, at least, for the next three days.
Chennai and its suburbs were pounded by heavy to very heavy rainfall. It was like a cloudburst situation in south Chennai. Central Chennai, which was missing out, has also received good rains. Nungambakkam weather station recorded 83-mm rain during the day, while Chennai airport received 70 mm.
Kollidam in Nagapattinam received 250 mm from Sunday midnight to Monday evening and is believed to the wettest place in the state.
Chennai witnessed brief, but intense spells of downpour. A private weather station in Perumbakkam near the OMR reportedly received 100 mm of rain in just 45 minutes on Monday evening and Anna Nagar in the north received 132 mm during the day, leading to water-logging.
The regional Meteorological department said heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and coastal districts of TN and Puducherry.
While speaking to Express, S Balachandran, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, attributed the rain to upper air cyclonic circulation over southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lanka coast and adjoining areas, extending up to 3.6 km above mean sea-level.