Chennai: The city, which recorded the highest rainfall for the decade last year, is staring at a crisis moment as northeast monsoon has yielded a mere 72.9mm this year, second driest in the past two centuries.
However, if numerical models are to be believed, the city might receive a brief spell of rainfall in the first week of December, which could possibly erode drought situations. Even though weather experts have not concluded it to be a drought, they are certain that 2016 receives below normal rainfall. S.B. Thambi, deputy director general, Regional Meteorological Centre, said, “There are no traces of rainfall for the next seven days. Even if the rains bless us next month, it cannot compensate to the deficit we had already received.”
Going by the meteorological data in the past 200 years, October – November of 1904 received the worst ever rainfall of 64.3mm, followed by 2016, which noted 72.9mm for the same, said weather blogger Pradeep John. “Numerical models predict the possibility of formation of low pressure area in Bay of Bengal. The exact path can be tracked only after the formation. If the rains fail us in December, it will result in extreme drought conditions,” added Pradeep.
However, astro-meteorologist S. Ramachandran has some words of comfort. “There could be a cyclonic disturbance in the Arabian Sea, bringing rains in the middle of December We will have substantial rainfall till Pongal and the monsoon will get weak after 14 January”, he said.
