The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to very heavy rains over the next three days in parts of south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. With the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by the evening of Wednesday, December 7, it lay about 750 km off Chennai as of 11.30 am on Wednesday. Light to moderate rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy showers at isolated places is very likely over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, southern Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema between December 8 and 10.
According to IMD Amaravati, heavy to extremely heavy rains are expected in parts of south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema from December 8 to 10. Nellore, Prakasam, Chittoor, and Anantapur districts are most likely to be affected, officials have said. On December 8, heavy rain is likely at isolated places in south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. On December 9, heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rain is likely at isolated places in these same regions. On December 10, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at isolated places in these parts of the state.
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said on Wednesday that heavy to very heavy rains are likely over the next three days in Prakasam, Nellore and Tirupati districts. Heavy to heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Chittoor, Annamayya and Kadapa districts in the Rayalaseema region. In the remaining districts, light to moderate rainfall is likely.
According to IMD’s Chennai centre, many parts of Tamil Nadu including Chennai and Puducherry are likely to witness heavy to extremely heavy rain from December 8 to 11. Here’s the IMD forecast for the next four days.
December 8 – Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappalli, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts and Puducherry.
December 9 – Heavy to very heavy rain in a few places with extremely heavy falls at one or two places is likely to occur over Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Villupuram districts and Puducherry. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore districts.
Heavy rain is likely to occur in isolated places over Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, Madurai and Dindigul districts and Karaikal.
December 10 – Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Chennai and Tiruvallur districts. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Kallakurichi and Villupuram districts and Puducherry.
December 11 – Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni, Madurai, Virudhunagar and Tenkasi districts.
The well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on December 6 evening over the same region and further intensified into a deep depression. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm on Wednesday evening and reach the southwest Bay of Bengal, off north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by the morning of December 8. "Squally wind, speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph, is likely to prevail over southeast Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours and then reduce to 40-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph on December 8," the IMD bulletin stated.