Heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds is likely at isolated places in 11 Tamil Nadu districts and Karaikal on Wednesday, the Meteorological Department said.
The districts likely to receive heavy rainfall are the Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Tiruchirappalli.
Thunderstorms may be accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, according to the forecast.
Despite the possibility of rain, maximum temperatures in Tamil Nadu are likely to remain above normal on Wednesday, with departures of up to four degrees Celsius. The weather forecast points to warmer daytime conditions alongside spells of rain in parts of the state.
Moderate rain accompanied by thunder, lightning and gusty winds is likely at some places in districts along the Western Ghats and in northern, central and southern Tamil Nadu. These include Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Karur, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi.
Puducherry is also likely to receive moderate rain with thunderstorms, while wind speeds in these areas could reach 40-50 kmph.
Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, light rain accompanied by thunder and lightning is possible at a few places.
For Thursday, October 1, heavy rain is forecast at isolated places in the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts. Thunderstorms and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are also likely in these areas.
Parts of the rest of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal may receive light to moderate rain on Thursday, with some showers accompanied by thunder, lightning and strong winds.
The weather conditions have been attributed to an atmospheric circulation over northern Tamil Nadu and adjoining southern coastal Andhra Pradesh, extending up to about 1.5 km above mean sea level.
A trough also extends from southern Telangana to the Gulf of Mannar through Rayalaseema, northern Tamil Nadu and adjoining southern coastal Andhra Pradesh at an altitude of around 0.9 km.
Meanwhile, a deep depression over the northern Andaman Sea and adjoining Myanmar coast on September 28 moved north-northwestwards and crossed the Myanmar coast east of Kyaikto between 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm.
The department’s forecast indicates that heavy rainfall will remain confined to isolated areas, while other parts of the state could receive light to moderate rain and thunderstorms over the next two days.