Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 22 : Several districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry continued to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday as a well-marked low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal showed signs of intensification, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) reported.
The system, which moved northwestward from off the north coast of Sri Lanka, was centred near the Tamil Nadu coast on Wednesday morning. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it is likely to intensify into a depression over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, off the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, during the next 12 hours. It is expected to move inland across northern Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and southern Andhra Pradesh within the next 12 hours.
Meanwhile, another well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea has intensified into a depression. The system is positioned about 630 km west-southwest of Aminidivi (Lakshadweep) and 1020 km southwest of Panjim (Goa). According to IMD, the depression is likely to move slowly north-northwestwards during the next 24 hours.
Widespread rainfall has already been reported across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Between 8:30 am on Tuesday and 5:30 am on Wednesday, Cuddalore recorded the highest rainfall at 174 mm, followed by Puducherry (147 mm) and Nungambakkam in Chennai (86.4 mm). Other significant rainfall figures include Tondi (65 mm), Pamban (63 mm), Meenambakkam (52.5 mm), Karaikal (43 mm), and Nagapattinam (42 mm).
Several interior districts also received moderate showers, including Madurai (41 mm), Tiruchirappalli (28 mm), and Salem (18.9 mm). Automated Weather Stations reported particularly heavy rain at Puducherry (146.5 mm), Kalavai (100 mm), Neyveli (95 mm), and Chennai AWS (89 mm). The highest rainfall from Automatic Rain Gauge stations was recorded at Periya Kalapet, Puducherry (247.5 mm), followed by ACS Medical College, Kanchipuram (84.5 mm) and Poonamallee, Tiruvallur (82 mm).
With the Bay system likely to intensify further, the IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh in the next 24 hours. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal due to squally weather conditions.
Apart from this, weather models indicate the formation of another low-pressure area towards the end of the month, which may also intensify into a cyclone.