Even as many parts of Tamil Nadu woke up to the steady pelting of rain on Thursday, a red alert has been issued for the state on Sunday, October 7.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s map, the entire state is under the alert category on Sunday, meaning the state must brace for heavy rainfall. As per the IMD’s All India Weather Warning Bulletin, heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls is likely at isolated places over Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
Addressing media persons in Chennai on Thursday, S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre said, “A low pressure area is set to form over South East Arabian Sea on Friday, October 5. It is likely to intensify as a depression and will likely turn into a cyclone over 36 hours and move towards Oman. Chennai and its suburbs will experience intermittent rainfall. For now, very heavy rainfall is predicted in a few places.”
The weatherman said that a low pressure area continues over the south west Bay of Bengal. Many parts of Tamil Nadu have experienced rain over the past 24 hours hours on account of this. A few places have experienced very heavy rainfall.
Over the last 24 hours, Cuddalore and Trichy districts experienced up to 11 cm of rainfall, he added.
As for the next couple of days, heavy to very heavy rain is very likely at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on October 4, Thursday, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. Similar predictions have been made for October 5, Friday and Saturday.
Fishermen in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been warned not to venture into the sea. They have been asked to avoid south Kerala coast, Lakshadweep area, Comorin area, southeast Arabian sea and Central Arabian sea between Friday, October 5 and Monday, October 8.
Those who are in deep sea have been advised to return to the coast by Friday.
#TamilNaduFishermen weather warning for next 18 hours on 4th Oct'18 pic.twitter.com/yBv2gvThQn
— TN SDMA (@tnsdma) October 4, 2018