chennai weather

Saturday and Sunday were pleasant days in Chennai thanks to cloudy skies and strong wind caused by a weather system -- cyclone Phethai -- over the Bay of Bengal. But the city didn’t receive rain on both days.

The Tamil Nadu government has directed district collectors to declare holidays only in case of severe inundation or flooding in any area leading to paralysis of transport facilities. Mere rain or drizzle should not be taken as a cause for declaring holidays, it said.

A low pressure area is likely to form over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal around December 6.

A low pressure area is likely to form over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal around December 6.

A low pressure area is likely to form over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal around December 6.

After weather enthusiasts termed Wednesday as the “wettest day of the year” for Chennai, the India Meteorological Department forecast that intermittent rain or thundershower will continue in and around the city, with heavy rain at times, on Thursday.

Chennai and Kancheepuram district collectors on Wednesday night declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Thursday in view of forecast of rain.

The first spell of northeast monsoon for the city started on Tuesday afternoon. Though the city received only 25mm rain since Tuesday afternoon till Wednesday morning, the intensity of the shower increased on Wednesday. The Met recorded 35mm rain since 8.30am on Wednesday.

As an approaching weather system is bringing rainfall to Chennai and other parts of northern Tamil Nadu, weather experts on Wednesday predicted that rainfall would continue for the next 24 hours.

Four days after Cyclone Gaja left a trail of destruction across several districts, another well-marked low pressure has approached the Tamil Nadu coast bringing more rain.

Chennai began to receive scattered rainfall on Tuesday as a well-marked low pressure is approaching the Tamil Nadu coast.

After Cyclone Gaja skipped Chennai, weathermen forecast that a well-marked low pressure area over Bay of Bengal may bring moderate rain to Chennai from Tuesday, ending the prolonged dry spell.

By the time the severe cyclonic storm Gaja began to make landfall south of Nagapattinam in the early hours of Friday, the Tamil Nadu government had made elaborate arrangements to face any eventuality.

As cyclone Gaja is set to make landfall between Pamban and Cuddalore on Thursday, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments have put in place several contingency measures.

On the eve of cyclone Gaja’s expected landfall between Pamban and Cuddalore, the Tamil Nadu government and the Union Territory of Puducherry said they were fully geared to face any eventuality.

Cyclone Gaja, which was situated 730km away from Chennai coast around noon on Monday and is expected to make landfall between Nagapattinam and Chennai on Thursday, is likely to bring light to moderate rain to north Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

When India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert on October 4 and pandemonium broke out online, Pradeep John’s phone rang incessantly. His inbox was flooded with queries if Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu would sink.

Cyclonic storm Gaja is likely to intensify into a severe cyclone in the next 24 hours and is likely to move towards north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra coast. It is expected to make landfall between Cuddalore and Sriharikota on November 15, the India Meteorological Department forecast on Sunday.

As the rainy season gained pace in several parts of Tamil Nadu, the Trichy district administration on Friday pulled up its socks by identifying 154 locations as vulnerable areas to flooding.

The India Meteorological Department on Thursday issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry on October 7 saying, “heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls likely to occur at isolated places” due to a cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea.

Schools in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Tirunelveli districts will remain closed on Friday due to incessant rain since early morning. District collectors announced the holiday.

Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday said it was prepared with men and machinery to face any adverse situation arising out of the heavy rain forecast for October 7 by India Meteorological Department.

The India Meteorological Department on Thursday issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry stating that “heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy falls likely to occur at isolated places” in these states and the Union territory on October 7 due to a severe storm in the Arabian Sea.

The Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday said it is prepared with men and machinery to face any situation arising out of the heavy to very heavy rain forecast for October 7 by the India Meteorological Department.

Light to moderate rain can be expected across the state till October 7, Met department officials said. "Chennai too is expected to get light showers in these days," said an India Meteorological department official.

Chennai received moderate rain on Thursday morning.

Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu will get light to moderate rain in the next few days till October 7, met officials said on Wednesday.

city's suburbs including Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur are being battered with rain and in a matter of days the rain clouds would make their mark in the city, weathermen said.

Following the three hottest days of the year, the temperatures in the city on Friday dropped by 3°C.

Following one of the coldest winters in the last decade, the temperature in the city has remained well below normal this month.

A nip in the air may have more people out of doors, but it is also landing quite a few in bed nursing viral infections. It is that time of the year when physicians have their hands full with people, mostly children, coming in with sniffles.