Heavy rain forecast for six TN districts; fishermen warned against venturing into sea

Chennai, Oct 26 (IANS) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has forecast heavy rainfall across six districts of Tamil Nadu on Sunday due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.

The system, currently active over the central and adjoining eastern parts of the Bay, is bringing widespread showers and strong winds to the region.

According to the latest bulletin, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, and Villupuram districts -- along with Puducherry -- are likely to experience heavy rain.

The RMC further noted that rainfall activity is expected to intensify on Monday, with extremely heavy rain possible in Tiruvallur, Chennai, and Ranipet districts.

Strong showers are also expected in Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Villupuram, and Puducherry. Officials said the developing weather system is part of a larger circulation extending over the central and northwestern Bay of Bengal, which is expected to strengthen further over the next 24 hours.

“The low-pressure area is likely to move northwestward, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall to northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and parts of Puducherry,” the RMC stated.

Meanwhile, fishermen have been strongly advised to stay away from the sea due to squally winds. Wind speeds are expected to reach 80 kmph over the southwest, southeast, and central Bay of Bengal, and may intensify up to 100 kmph over the mid-western and northwestern sectors.

Coastal residents have also been urged to remain cautious as the sea is likely to be very rough. Disaster management teams in the affected districts have been placed on high alert, and local administrations have initiated preparatory measures to handle possible flooding in low-lying areas.

With the northeast monsoon active since October 16, several parts of Tamil Nadu have already received above-average rainfall in the past week. The weather office has said that further updates will be issued as the system evolves.

--IANS

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