Chennai weather: Tiruvarur, 3 more districts of Tamil Nadu on IMD's orange alert for heavy rains; full forecast here

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its weather bulletin warned of deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal. The weather agency issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall on Saturday in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area.

The prevailing weather system is expected to bring heavy to very rainfall at isolated places over Tamil Nadu on 10 January and heavy rainfall at isolated places over the same region on 11 January, IMD said.

Chennai on IMD's yellow alert

The Meteorological Department also issued a yellow alert for heavy rains in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu. Moreover, IMD's yellow alert for thunderstorm and lightning is in place today over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area.

The maximum and minimum temperatures over Chennai are likely to be in the range of 27 to 28 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively. IMD predicted “generally cloudy sky" and thunderstorm and lightning with moderate to heavy rain in some area.

As per the latest location of the deep depression, it lay centred near “latitude 8.5°N and longitude 82.2°E, about 100 km north-northeast of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka),100 km east of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 180 km north-northeast of Pottuvil (Sri Lanka), 370 km southeast of Karaikal (Puducherry) and 550 km south-southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu).”

IMD warns of rough sea and strong surface wind

Strong surface wind of around 35-45 kmph is likely over Coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area under the influence of the current atmospheric conditions. IMD forecasted that the deep depression will weaken into a depression during its northwestwards movement. The depression is likely to cross north Sri Lanka coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna around noon or afternoon today.

Predicting rough sea condition, IMD warned of “squally weather with wind speed reaching 40 – 50 gusting to 60 kmph is very likely to prevail till 10th evening. It would gradually decrease thereafter. Squally weather with wind speed reaching 35-45 gusting to 55 kmph is very likely to prevail along and off North Tamil Nadu & Puducherry coasts on 10th January and decrease thereafter.”

Furthermore, fishermen warning is in place for Saturday for Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area and along and off Sri Lanka & Tamilnadu-Puducherry coasts.