Tamil Nadu is bracing for severe weather as a rapidly intensifying low-pressure system in the southwest Bay of Bengal threatens to escalate into a depression, projected to make landfall across the north coast, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh by Thursday morning. The Regional Meteorological Centre reports that this system, positioned close to Tamil Nadu’s shoreline, is expected to strengthen within the next 12 hours, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall and raising concerns about flash floods, landslides, and widespread crop damage.
A secondary depression in the southeast Arabian Sea, located approximately 630 km west-southwest of Lakshadweep’s Aminidivi and 1,020 km southwest of Goa’s Panjim, is moving north-northwest over the next 24 hours, exacerbating the region’s weather woes by channeling additional moisture. This has prompted red alerts for districts including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore. Authorities have closed schools and colleges in affected areas and issued warnings to fishermen to avoid the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal until October 25 due to squally conditions with winds up to 55 kmph.
Recent rainfall data underscores the crisis’s severity. From 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Cuddalore recorded 174 mm, Puducherry 147 mm, and Chennai’s Nungambakkam 86.4 mm. Other significant measurements include Tondi (65 mm), Pamban (63 mm), Meenambakkam (52.5 mm), Karaikal (43 mm), and Nagapattinam (42 mm), with interior districts like Madurai (41 mm), Tiruchirappalli (28 mm), and Salem (18.9 mm) also affected. Automated weather stations reported extreme figures, including 247.5 mm at Periya Kalapet in Puducherry, 100 mm at Kalavai, 95 mm at Neyveli, and 89 mm at Chennai AWS, with rain gauges noting 84.5 mm at ACS Medical College in Kanchipuram and 82 mm at Poonamallee in Tiruvallur.
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The intensifying Bay of Bengal system is set to deliver relentless rainfall across north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh over the next 24 hours, with gusty winds persisting through October 25. Forecasts also indicate the potential formation of another low-pressure system by the end of the month, which could intensify into a cyclone, heightening long-term concerns. Chief Minister MK Stalin has directed the deployment of relief measures and urged heightened preparedness to mitigate impacts on lives, property, and agriculture as Tamil Nadu confronts this formidable monsoon challenge.
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