CHENNAI: Chennai, especially the Northern part of the city, and its suburbs received steady showers accompanied by winds on Monday night and early Tuesday as severe cyclonic storm 'Montha' moved closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said rainfall will gradually subside over north Tamil Nadu from Wednesday as Montha makes landfall and weakens over Andhra Pradesh.
According to the IMD, Montha lay centered at 8.30 am on Tuesday over the west-central Bay of Bengal, about 160 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 240 km south-southeast of Kakinada, and 320 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam.
The system is likely to cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, as a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday evening or night, with wind speeds reaching 90–100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.
The cyclone’s outer rain bands brought rains to Chennai through the night, accompanied by thunder and winds. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) recorded 47 mm of rainfall in Nungambakkam and 35.2 mm in Meenambakkam between 8.30 am Monday and 5.30 am Tuesday. Automated weather stations showed higher readings of 106.5 mm at Ennore Port, indicating heavy rain along with 49 mm at Chennai AWS and 42.5 mm at Puzhal.
Several low-lying areas, especially around Madhavaram, Ennore, and Puzhal, reported waterlogging, while winds uprooted branches and disrupted traffic early in the morning.
Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, rainfall was scattered and moderate. Valparai in Coimbatore district recorded 22 mm, while Virinjipuram in Vellore logged a sharp 85 mm. Other stations, including Pondicherry, Cuddalore, and Madurai, saw light showers.
Fishermen have been strictly advised not to venture into the sea along and off north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra coasts.