Chennai, November 21: The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued an orange alert for Tamil Nadu due to an anticipated upper-level cyclonic circulation over the South Andaman Sea. This system is expected to evolve into a low-pressure area in the southeast Bay of Bengal by November 23.
Heavy rain is predicted across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikkal regions on November 25, escalating to very heavy rainfall on November 26. Schools in Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam districts were closed on Thursday due to the severe weather. Rameswaram recorded 41 cm of rain, while Pamban received 19 cm on Wednesday.
A cloudburst in Pamban and Thangachimadam resulted in 24 cm of rain within two hours, leading to significant flooding. Other areas of Ramanathapuram saw an average rainfall of 10 cm. In Tirunelveli district, hilly regions experienced rainfall ranging from 9.8 cm to 16.6 cm.
The heavy rains have inundated thousands of acres of farmland, severely impacting Samba crops in Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapattinam districts. Farmers reported extensive waterlogging, with Murugesan Perumal, a local farmer, noting that the flooding has devastated crops across vast areas.
He attributed the damage to inadequate de-silting of irrigation canals, particularly the Ottai Vaical canal, which has become obstructed by vegetation and silt accumulation. From October 1 to November 15, Tamil Nadu recorded 276 mm of rainfall during the Northeast Monsoon.
Coimbatore reported the highest rainfall at 418 mm, exceeding normal levels by 67 percent. While 17 districts, including Chennai, experienced excess rainfall, others reported deficits. The state’s reservoirs are currently over 60 percent full, holding 143.804 tmcft of water, compared to 79.514 tmcft at the same time last year.
The Mettur reservoir, crucial for irrigation, has a storage level of 62,140 mcft, marking a 384 percent increase from 2023, while the Bhavanisagar reservoir recorded a 210 percent rise from the previous year.