Rain lashes south Tamil Nadu; Chennai may receive moderate showers on March 23
CHENNAI: The southern parts of the state received an unseasonal spell of moderate to heavy rain. Although the rain brought down the temperature in these regions, parts of Thoothukudi which recorded the highest rainfall in the state of 8 cm in 24 hours as of Saturday noon, were waterlogged.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, light to moderate rain will continue over one or two parts of the state for the next two days. After a two-day dry spell, light to moderate rain may resume from March 27 and continue on 28th.
The continuous spell of rain on Saturday inundated arterial roads in Thoothukudi with water also entering the Thoothukudi medical college hospital campus and the Thoothukudi south police station premises.
The rains, which began in the wee hours of Saturday, also brought down an unoccupied house in Dhamodaran Nagar and inundated low lying areas including Muthiahpuram.
Parts of Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, Papanasam, Ambasamudram and Nanguneri also received light to moderate rainfall ranging from 1-3.2 cm. Ooty also received around 2.8 cm of rain. Chennai may also receive light to moderate rain on Sunday, according to the centre. The rainfall is brought by a north-south trough that runs from North Interior Karnataka to South Tamil Nadu at 1.5 km above mean sea level.
While there may be no changes in maximum temperature until Sunday, the maximum temperature thereafter may rise by 2-3 degree celsius in isolated pockets of the state on Monday and Tuesday, according to the RMC. Erode recorded the highest maximum temperature of 38 degree Celsius on Saturday.
For the last 24 hours till Saturday morning in Tirunelveli district, 15 mm rainfall was recorded in Moolaikaraipattai while Nanguneri, Radhapuram and Nambiyar Dam received 10 mm, 11 mm and 10 mm respectively. Besides, other places recorded Papanasam (5 mm) , Manjolai (2mm), Kakkachi (2mm), Nalumukku (4mm) and Oothu (4 mm).
In Tenkasi district, only Karuppanathi Dam received 3.5 mm rainfall for the last 24 hours till Saturday morning. Courtallam witnessed with frequent drizzling. In Kanniyakumari district, drizzling was experienced across the district. Thiruparappu received 36.8 mm rainfall while Kottaram, Mylaudy, Chittar-I and Chittar-II (Sivalogam) recorded 3.4 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.8 mm and 4 mm rainfall.