CHENNAI /TENKASI /TIRUNELVELI /TIRUPPUR /ERODE: Unseasonal rainfall lashed southern and western parts of Tamil Nadu, with Kozhiporvilai in Kanniyakumari district recording the highest rainfall of 19 cm in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Saturday. Gobichettipalayam (Erode) and Tiruppur recorded the second highest rainfall of 15 cm each.
Pechiparai in Kanyakumari and Uthukuli in Tiruppur received 13 cm and 12 cm rain respectively. According to sources, paddy crops cultivated on around 400 acres at Kadayanallur in Tenkasi district and at Manur in Tirunelveli district were inundated. Rainwater entered houses in low-lying areas and industrial units in Tiruppur and Erode.
A footbridge near Uthukuli was also washed away. Inflow into the Lower Bhavani Dam increased from 500 cusecs to 5,000 cusecs. Widespread showers ranging from 1 cm to 10 cm were also recorded across districts like Coimbatore, Theni and Ramanathapuram. A few places in Chennai also received mild overnight showers.
Met office has issued a yellow alert to Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Theni, Dindigul and Tenkasi districts for Sunday. Isolated light to moderate rain (up to 6 cm) is also expected at a few places across the state from Monday to Friday.
A cyclonic circulation over the southeast Bay of Bengal and a north-south trough from central Maharashtra to north Tamil Nadu are driving this wet spell, officials said. Maximum temperature is likely to hold steady through Sunday, and then rise by 2-3°C from Monday. The sky is likely to be cloudy in Chennai with light rain and maximum temperature of 33-34°C, they added.