Pedestrians cross a road in Chennai as the city receives rainfall. Express Photo: Srinivas K Parts of South India — particularly Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Lakshadweep — are likely to receive widespread rainfall over the next three days, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). However, the rainfall activity is predicted to decrease considerably from January 13th, the weather department added.
Isolated bouts of heavy to very heavy showers are expected in parts of southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala until Tuesday. Meanwhile, Lakshadweep, too, is predicted to receive heavy rains on 12th and 13th January, the IMD warned. These places are also likely to witness thunderstorms and lightning.
“Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over Equatorial Indian Ocean & adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal upto mid tropospheric levels, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with moderate thunderstorm and lightning very likely over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep during next 3 days,” the IMD’s latest weather alert read.
Isolated heavy rainfall over Kerala & Mahe on 10th & 11th and over Lakshadweep on 12th & 13th January, 2021. Significant decrease in rainfall activity is very likely over these areas from 13th January, 2021 onwards.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) January 10, 2021
Meanwhile, temperatures in parts of northwest India are likely to drop by 3-4° C over the next few days, which could result in isolated cold wave conditions in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and north Rajasthan on January 12 and 13, the IMD alerted. During the next three days, strong surface winds are also expected over the plains of Northwest India.
Heavy rainfall battered parts of South India during the first week of 2021. On January 5, Chennai received the highest single-day rainfall in a century — since January 1915 — with an average rainfall of 123 mm recorded, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai’s Nungambakkam,
