Heavy rain lashes in the outskirts of Chennai. File.
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
A wet Deepavali is on the cards for Tamil Nadu as widespread rainfall is set to cover most parts of the State which may be intense in many districts from October 19. Intense downpour is likely to shift to north coastal districts from October 22 under the influence of a low pressure area brewing in the Bay of Bengal.
Multiple weather systems, aided by the vigorous Northeast monsoon, are expected to bring widespread rainfall next week too.
During the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday, five weather stations received very heavy rainfall and 40 other places recorded heavy rainfall. Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar district received the heaviest rainfall of 18 cm in the State. Similar rainfall pattern continued on Saturday too.
Officials of the Regional Meteorological Centre said a trough that runs between two other weather systems -in Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal- which have a potential to intensify into a depression, influenced widespread, intense downpour over several parts of the State. Another cyclonic circulation over Gulf of Mannar would also sustain the wet weather.
The well-marked low pressure over southeast Arabian sea, which is likely to become depression by early hours of Deepavali day, will influence heavy rainfall over districts along Western Ghats and extreme south TN on Sunday. On October 20, intense downpour would cover 20 districts, including in delta and north coastal TN.
After intense downpour over south Tamil Nadu and the Western Ghats areas this week, rainfall is set to lash over north coastal TN from October 22. A low pressure area, which is likely to form over Southeast Bay of Bengal on October 21, is expected to gather strength as a depression by October 23.
B.Amudha, Head (Additional in-charge), RMC said the weather system, which is getting organised, may bring heavy rainfall over the north coastal region between October 22 and October 24. Six districts, including Chennai and its neighbourhood, are likely to receive very heavy rainfall up to 24 cm on October 22 and 23.
“We will monitor the system for further intensification. When rainfall intensity is high in certain districts, the heavy downpour may spread to the neighbouring districts as well, depending on the movement of the weather systems,” she said.
Published – October 19, 2025 04:39 am IST
