CHENNAI: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm by early Monday and strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 27.
The weather system to be named Cyclone Arnab is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28 (Wednesday), the IMD said on Sunday.
In Tamil Nadu, an orange alert has been issued for four districts — Ariyalur, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram — on Monday, with heavy to very heavy rain likely at isolated places.
Meanwhile, three separate rain-related deaths have been reported from Dindigul and Krishnagiri on Sunday. T Ankesh (6), a Class 1 student from Rajasthan whose family works on a farm in Ammapatti, drowned after slipping into the water accumulated near a channel in Oddanchatram in Dindigul on Sunday. Muthusamy, a 45-year-old daily wage worker, died after falling into a pit filled with rainwater near the Gandhi Vegetable Market at Thangachiyammapatti in the district.
A 45-year-old woman riding pillion on a two-wheeler in Krishnagiri district was electrocuted on Saturday night after a snapped electric line fell on her.
Chennai is likely to receive moderate rain in some areas on Monday. Heavy rain is also forecast at isolated places in Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.
Holiday for Dindigul schools; 5 Kodai tourist spots closed
Thunderstorms with gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are likely at one or two places across the state.
The Dindigul collector has declared a holiday for schools on Monday in view of the heavy rain. Five tourist spots under the Kodaikanal forest department will also remain closed as a precautionary measure.
As per the IMD readings recorded for the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, Devikapuram in Tiruvannamalai district reported 20 cm, followed by Nedungunam in the same district with 18 cm.
Rishivandhiyam in Kallakurichi district and Chetpet in Tiruvannamalai recorded 17 cm each. Between 8.30 am and 7.30 pm, the TNAU Climate Research Centre in Coimbatore recorded 82 mm, Vijayanagaram in the Nilgiris received 70 mm and the weather station at Kodaikanal recorded 59.4 mm.
IMD’s S-band weather radar at Chennai port developed a technical glitch on Sunday, raising concerns over the reliability of the ageing equipment during the northeast monsoon. The 15-year-old radar is prone to breakdowns and has happened during past monsoons.
However, alternative systems are available to ensure weather monitoring is not disrupted. An X-band radar installed at National Institute of Ocean Technology, with a range of 180 km to 200 km, can serve as a backup, while the radar at Sriharikota is another option.