The depression in the southwest Bay of Bengal is expected to move closer to the Tamil Nadu coast in next 24 hours and bring rain over North Tamil Nadu, South Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala. Rain could be heavy at a few places as the weather system approaches the coast possibly by 8th of January.
The places that could witness rain are Chennai, Nagapattinam, Pamban, Madurai and Kanyakumari. Rain could be heavy in Nagapattinam, Pamban and Kanyakumari during the next 48 hours. Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kottayam in Kerala will also receive rain during the period.
The weather system has crossed the Sri Lankan coast near latitude 9.2° North and longitude 80.8° East. It now lies 90 km East of Mannar. It will move west-southwestwards to emerge in Gulf of Mannar before weakening into a well marked low pressure area.
The marginally above day temperatures will drop in Tamil Nadu due to rain. Maximums are up by 1 to 3°C at many places in the state. Dry weather in South India along with clear skies had led to the mercury levels rising in these parts. Meanwhile, night temperatures that were keeping low will rise in the region during the period.