CHENNAI: A rare weather system brewing in the Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rainfall to parts of Tamil Nadu from March 3. It is not usual for Tamil Nadu to get rain in March. Weather blogger Pradeep John, known as Tamil Nadu weatherman, said, “Tamil Nadu has received rain in March only twice (in 1984 and 2008) in the past 150 years. Equatorial Rossby wave is triggering this rare event for Tamil Nadu and the days to watch are March 3-6.”
The met department has issued a heavy rainfall warning to several districts of the State on March 3 and 4. As per the official forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places over Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore on March 3 and heavy rainfall over Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Sivaganga.
Chennai and the neighbouring districts may witness rainfall activity from March 4. A warning has been issued for Cuddalore, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai and Kallakurichi.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), on Monday evening, announced that a low-pressure area has been formed over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining area of the south Andaman Sea and Equatorial Indian Ocean. It is likely to become well-marked and move west-northwestwards towards the Sri Lanka coast during the next three days.
The met officials have advised fishermen against venturing into the sea from March 1-4. Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal, along Tamilnadu coast and gulf of Mannar.