Heavy rain likely in nine districts of Tamil Nadu: Meteorological Department

Chennai, October 18 (IANS). Heavy rain has been predicted in nine districts of Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Tiruppur. According to the Chennai-based Regional Meteorological Centre, the Northeast Monsoon is gaining momentum across the state. According to officials, moderate to heavy rain is likely in many western and southern districts on Saturday. The affected districts include Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Theni, Dindigul, Erode, Salem, Namakkal and Karur. There was a warning of heavy rain in one or two places in these areas. There is a possibility of heavy rain at one or two places in Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Theni and Tenkasi districts on Sunday. There is a possibility of continuous rain in these areas, along with thunder and lightning in some places. In the 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Friday, Tirunelveli district recorded the highest rainfall. Nalumukku in Tirunelveli recorded 16 cm rainfall – the highest in the state. After this there was 15 cm of rain in Oothu and 14 cm of rain in Kakachi. Manjolai recorded 11 cm rainfall, Kalakkad in Tirunelveli recorded 9 cm rainfall and several other parts of the district recorded around 8 cm rainfall. Officials said widespread rainfall brought relief to parched areas in southern Tamil Nadu, although incessant rainfall in hilly areas raised concerns about landslides and waterlogging. The Nilgiri district administration has been put on alert to keep an eye on sensitive slopes and low-lying areas. Over Chennai and its suburbs, the sky is likely to be partly cloudy with light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning at isolated places. The weather department has requested residents of the affected districts to remain vigilant during heavy rains and avoid unnecessary travel. Fishermen have also been advised to be careful as there is a possibility of rough seas in the western and southern coastal areas. –IANS DKM/DSC