Chennai: After a short delay of a week, North East monsoon has set in over Tamil Nadu on Saturday night-Sunday morning, without spoiling the festive mood.
The monsoon, which brought heavy rains in interior districts and intermittent showers at Chennai, will yield moderate to heavy rains to the state on November 5 and after the second week of the month, suggest global forecast models.
The farmers of the Cauvery Delta are excited that the monsoon has set in at last. But they could be in for a shock if the prediction about a weak NE monsoon that is coming in now is true. The state has already borne the brunt of a weak South West monsoon, which affected coffee plantations in the Western Ghats this year. The news now about a possible weak NE monsoon may singe the hopes of farmers, who worry about the depreciation of ground water levels.
Going by the models, director of Regional Meteorological Centre, S. Balachandran said that the state would receive normal rains this monsoon, which might not exceed 44cm.
The prediction only indicates a weaker monsoon this year as the state has received over 100cms of rain during the previous monsoon. “In the past 24 hours, Thanjavur received 7cm, whereas Tholudhur, Perambalur and Valangaiman noted 6cm,” said Balachandran. According to data from Indian meteorological centre, Nungambakkam received 0.32cm.
On the formation of systems in the Bay of Bengal, the weather blogger, S. Bhaskaran said, “We are closely watching the movement of the system in the Bay that is expected to pick up from November 5. Moderate rains could be witnessed till first week of December, as another system is expected in the latter part of November.”
