Cyclonic storm Titwa moves towards north Tamil Nadu: Heavy rain warning issued for 11 districts today
Tamil Nadu: As Cyclone Tidwa approaches northern Tamil Nadu, a ‘red’ warning for heavy rain has been issued for Tiruvallur and Ranipet districts on Sunday (November 30), and an ‘orange’ warning for very heavy rain has been issued for nine districts, including Chennai, said P. Amudha, head of the Meteorological Department’s southern region.
He also said that rainfall in Tamil Nadu is likely to gradually decrease after December 1.
He told reporters in Chennai on Saturday: Cyclone Tidwa, which was over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining northern Sri Lankan waters, was 90 km east-southeast of Vedaranyam, 120 km southeast of Karaikal, 220 km south-southeast of Puducherry, and 330 km south of Chennai as of 2:30 pm Saturday.
It is also expected to move north-northwestward and reach the southwest Bay of Bengal by Sunday morning (November 30) via the coasts of North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and adjoining South Andhra Pradesh.
The storm is moving at a speed of 10 kmph and is expected to be 50 km off the coast of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by early morning on November 30 and 25 km off the coast of North Tamil Nadu that evening.
Special Warning: Due to the storm, light rain accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely at many places in North Tamil Nadu, at one or two places in South Tamil Nadu, and in Puducherry and Karaikal areas on Sunday (November 30).
A red alert has been issued for very heavy rain (more than 210 mm), especially in Tiruvallur and Ranipet. An orange alert has been issued for Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, and Dharmapuri districts due to the possibility of very heavy rainfall, while a yellow alert has been issued for Salem, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore districts, and Puducherry due to the possibility of heavy rainfall.
Rainfall to subside: Cyclone Tidwa is currently not expected to cross the coast. The storm is expected to gradually weaken while remaining over the coastal areas from 5:30 pm on November 30 to the morning of December 1. Consequently, rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal is expected to gradually subside from December 1.
Rainfall: In Tamil Nadu, in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Saturday, Kodiakarai in Nagaur district recorded 250 mm of rainfall, Vedaranyam 190 mm, and Velankanni 130 mm. Thiruppoondi (Naigai) – 120 mm, Thalainagari (Naigai) – 110 mm, and Pamban (Ramanathapuram) – 100 mm of rain were recorded.
From October 1st to November 29th, Tamil Nadu should have received an average of 346 mm of rain. However, this year, it received 358 mm of rain. This is 3 percent more than normal.
Warning for fishermen: Strong winds of up to 80 kmph are expected in the Kumari Sagar, Gulf of Mannar, and southwest Bay of Bengal on November 30th. Fishermen should not venture into these areas for fishing. They also said that fishermen who have ventured into the deep sea should avoid these areas.
