CHENNAI: The northeast monsoon, expected to hit the region from Oct. 17, has arrived a day earlier across the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Union Territory of Puducherry, according to S. Balachandran, South Zone Head of the Indian Meteorological Department, Chennai.
The early arrival has raised the hopes of the people in getting the waterbodies replenished. Though the ideal date for the onset of norhteast monsoon is Oct. 17 to 23, this year it has made its onset sufficiently in advance with the moisture-laden easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal blowing across South India having brought widespread rain.
Heavy, isolated rainfall is predicted across the southern districts of Tamil Nadu including Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and the delta region, besides the northern districts such as Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, and Cuddalore.
Chennai and suburbs are expected to receive moderate rainfall at regular intervals over the next two days. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea especially in the Maldives region on Oct. 17 and 18. Chennai city and nearby areas have been receiving rains since Tuesday night. Poonamallee received 11 cm rainfall and Pamban in Ramanathapuram district received 10 cm rainfall.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation officials reviewed preparedness for monsoon. “Out of an estimated 3,22,809 cubic metre silt to be removed from 1,636 km-long storm water drains, only 98,000 cubic metres has been removed and orders have been issued to complete desilting by Friday,” a statement said.
Weather blogger Pradeep John said, “A great northeast monsoon awaits Tamil Nadu, we will be getting normal to excess rains this time with good October, tricky November and a tricky December on the cards.” “East Coast Road will wake up to rainy mornings, the same pattern to continue and our time is mostly at nights and mornings,” he said.
The Northeast monsoon is crucial for Tamil Nadu as over 60 % of the coastal districts’ rainfall is brought in by it, while bringing around 40-50 % of the rainfall for the State’s interior districts.
The northeast monsoon rains are expected to replenish the water bodies of parched Chennai besides those in the neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram, which are recovering from severe water crisis.
After the December 2015 deluge, Chennai has been facing water scarcity which was aggravated owing to deficit rainfall in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
