Chennai had a very poor rainfall in November till the last week of the month. November is the rainiest month for Chennai with a normal of 373.6mm rainfall. Between 01st and 25th November, the city had gathered 182mm of rainfall at Meenambakkam and 147mm at Nungambakkam, less than halfway through the mark. Courtesy, cyclone Fengal, there were moderate to heavy showers at the fag end of the month, saving the grace. The month of November ended with a total of 323mm at Nungambakkam and 353mm at Meenambakkam. There was a good effort to catch up but still fell short of the target.
The impact of the storm was severe on 30th Nov 2024 and both the observatories measured 3-digit rainfall on 01st Dec. In the first three days of the month, rainfall of 112mm and 124mm has been recorded at Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam. The normal rainfall in the month of December is much less and has a moderate figure of 182.4mm.
Cyclone Fengal has weakened to a low-pressure area which is now marked over coastal parts of Karnataka and neighbouring sea regions. The northeasterly stream still remains active along the Tamil Nadu coast but is not strong enough for any significant weather activity. There is a likely cyclonic circulation moving across the equatorial latitudes between 06th and 10th December 2024. When it comes closer, abeam south of Tamil Nadu, fresh showers may erupt again. While light rainfall is expected on almost all the days of this week, there is an uptick in the weather activity likely between 09th and 12th December. To start with, the southern half of Tamil Nadu will get rain and thundershowers and later it will reach the northern half, as well. Chennai is expected to have a decent spell of showers between the 10th and 12th Dec. It may catch up with its monthly normal rainfall during this period.
