The Regional Met Department has issued a warning to fishermen in Tamil Nadu, asking them not to venture out into the sea for the next few days. A release on its website reads, “Fishermen are advised not to venture in and around southwest Arabian sea and nearby areas.”
The warning issued by the Met Department says that a low-pressure area has formed over the Southwest Arabian sea and that it is likely to move towards the Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas. This will concentrate into forming a depression in the next 48 hours.
Light to moderate rain or thundershower has been forecast over certain parts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the next five days.
Interior and southern districts in TN have been receiving good rainfall for the past few days and Tiruchengode in Namakkal district has recorded the highest rainfall of seven cms on 15 May alone. Tondi in Ramanathapuram district and Manamelkudi in Pudukkottai district have recorded five cms each.
Over the last fifteen days, the Nilgiris district has recorded the highest amount of rainfall received at 270.9 mm (62 percent departure from normal). Thirunelveli comes second with 225.9 mm followed by Coimbatore with 206 mm rainfall.
Earlier this month, the Met Department had warned that parts of Vellore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, Tiruchi, Perambalur and Madurai districts will record 41-43°C, 2-3°C above normal.
While these districts have been receiving some respite from the scorching summer, Chennai will continue its dry spell with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 35 and 28 deg Celsius respectively.
In March 2018, a low pressure belt formed over Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari coast that resulted in high speed winds in the area. Fishermen were warned not to head into the sea, especially in the southern coast, Gulf of Mannar and Kanyakumari coast.
(This article was first published by The News Minute. It has been republished with permission. )
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