Northeast Monsoon has set in with vigour, low pressure area to intensify into depression

The Northeast Monsoon has set in with vigour on Tuesday, and the Regional Meteorological Centre here said the monsoon in association with a well marked low pressure area over central part of south Bay of Bengal, caused widespread rainfall activity in the region. The well marked low pressure area is likely to intensify into a depression over southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and reach near north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by October 17 early morning intensifying into a depression, S Balachandran, Deputy Director General, RMC, Chennai, said.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rain is likely over the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next three days with extremely heavy rain at one or two places during the next two days, Balachandran told reporters here.

Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Chennai districts are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain at one or two places.

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Vellore districts, Puducherry and Karaikal area. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Tiruchirappalli and Pudukkottai districts.

"The Northeast Monsoon has commenced from today. The current spell is likely to continue for the next three days. From October 1 till date, we have received 12 CM rainfall, and this is 84 percent more than normal rainfall," Balachandran told reporters here.

Meanwhile, the combined storage of the Poondi, Cholavaram, Puzhal, Kannankottai Thervoy Kandigai, Chembarambakkam, and Veeranam reservoirs in Chennai and suburbs stood at 36.64 percent (4,844.20 mcft) with a combined inflow of 2,247 cusecs water.

The total discharge stood at 1,082 cusecs. The combined storage as on the same day last year was 9,198.25 mcft.