Low trough pressure presists; heavy rain forecast

Chennai, Nov 3 (UNI) The trough of low pressure over South West Bay and adjoining West-Central Bay persisted for the fourth day today promising heavy rains, even as the Tamil Nadu government put the coastal districts on alert to tackle the situation.

Weather office sources told UNI the low pressure still persisted and under its influence rain or thundershowers were likely to occur at most places over Chennai, coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry during the next 48 hours.

Chennai city, which had been experiencing incessant rains since early this morning after two days of respite, would have generally cloudy skies with few spells of shower or thundershowers, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the state government had alerted Collectors of all coastal districts to take preventive measures to meet the situation.

An official release said officials of Chennai Corporation, Municipalities and Panchayats, TNEB, police, fire, PWD and Water Supply and Sewerage Board, were in readiness to meet any likelihood.

Since the North East monsoon had become more vigorous, various parts of Tamil Nadu, including the Cauvery delta districts of Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam had been receiving copious rains, triggering threat of floods in the villages situated on the river banks.

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