It has almost been ten days since Chennai has received any rain. The last spell of rain that the city observed was on November 14, when 5.6 mm of rain was recorded. Thereafter, the weather has been dry.
However, in the next 72 hours the city is likely to receive some very good rain as a low pressure in the southwest Bay of Bengal is moving westward and is expected to give rain on November 27-28. The system will then move across Kerala and enter the Arabian Sea. In view of this system coastal areas of Kerala will also receive good rain with isolated heavy in pockets.
November is the rainiest month for Chennai during the Northeast Monsoon season and the average rainfall for the month is 407 mm, but the city has received only 170 mm of rain so far. The fresh spell of rain may push up the rainfall figure but it won’t be enough to cover the deficit.
The Northeast Monsoon had started on a good note in November but by the middle of the month it slowed down and the weather almost became dry. The situation is largely expected to remain the same for the remaining three weeks of the Northeast Monsoon season as there isn’t any major system developing in the Bay of Bengal in the near future.
