THOOTHUKUDI: In the past 24 hours, Kovilpatti received 10 cm of rainfall as per the data collected by 8 am on Thursday. Researchers have attributed the cause of this rainfall to conjunction of westerlies and easterlies winds.
Thoothukudi received 8.21 mm of average rainfall including 16 mm at Kadalkudi, 107 mm at Kovilpatti, 17 mm at Kalugumalai, 2 mm at Ottapidaram and 14.1 mm at Srivaikuntam. A private weather researcher T Raja from Tiruchendur, has said that the conjunction of westerlies and easterlies winds triggered by the upper air circulation is the reason very heavy rainfall occurred during a short period of time.
The heavy rains had submerged the main thoroughfare in the Kovilpatti town including the main road, Anna bus stand, Mathankovil road, Pudhuroad and Pasuvanthanai road. According to IMD, Thoothukudi received excess rainfall of 94.2 mm as against the expected average of 32.7 mm, between June 1 to September 1. This has registered an increase of 188%.