During a press meet on Monday, January 8, the Meteorological Department’s regional office in Chennai has said that over the next 24 hours Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Thiruvanamalai, Chengalpattu districts will receive heavy to very heavy rains. Chennai, the Met Department further said, would receive moderate to heavy rainfall in spells over the next 24 hours. In this regard, an orange alert has been issued for Chengalpattu and Thiruvanamalai. 

Addressing the press meet, Regional Meteorological Department (RMC) chief for Chennai Balachandran said that in the last 24 hours Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal had received widespread rains. Sirkali in Mayiladuthurai district received 23 cm of rain. 

Regarding the North-East monsoons, Balachandran said that continuous rains could be expected for the next five days and that the monsoon was not over yet. He also pointed out that in the last five years, the North-East monsoon had almost always spilled over into January in Tamil Nadu. In 2018 it had extended until January 2, in 2019 until January 10, in 2020 until January 19, in 2021 until January 22 and in 2023 until January 18. 

He also added that heavy rainfall could be expected in southern Tamil Nadu districts on January 11 and 12.