Chennai, May 9 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu over the next two days, with as many as 22 districts likely to receive intense showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.
The weather department attributed the sudden change in weather to prevailing atmospheric circulation over the Kumari Sea region.
According to the IMD, districts including Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tiruchy, Namakkal and Karur are expected to witness heavy rain and gusty winds.
The department also indicated that Chennai may receive moderate rainfall in isolated areas, while temperatures in the city are expected to remain below 38 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the unexpected summer showers brought much-needed relief from the scorching heat prevailing across several parts of the State. In Coimbatore, heavy rain lashed areas such as Singanallur, Peelamedu, Ganapathy, Puliyakulam, Gandhipuram, Ukkadam, Pappanaickenpalayam and Kuniyamuthur for more than an hour on Friday night.
Waterlogging was reported in several low-lying areas, causing inconvenience to motorists and residents. Rainfall was also recorded in Thondamuthur, Perur, Madampatti, Alandurai and Devarayapuram, bringing down temperatures significantly.
Erode, which had been reeling under temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius over the past few days, witnessed sudden showers in Erode city, Villarasampatti and Chithode, much to the delight of residents.
However, the rain also caused tragedy in some regions. In Modakurichi near Erode, a woman died after a compound wall collapsed due to heavy rainfall.
The Nilgiris district, including Udhagamandalam, Devala, Thorapalli and Pandalur, experienced continuous showers, resulting in chilly weather conditions.
Similar weather prevailed in Kodaikanal, where rain was reported in Observatory, Anna Salai, Vattakanal, Pambarpuram and Anandagiri areas.
Heavy rain was also reported in parts of Ariyalur, Salem, Tiruvarur and Karur districts. In Karur, several villages were inundated, submerging paddy fields that were ready for harvest.
Intermittent rain accompanied by thunder and lightning was also reported across Kanniyakumari and nearby regions, including Nagercoil.
–IANS
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