Tamil Nadu Weather: Rains to Return From Saturday; Isolated Heavy Showers Likely in Interior Dists

After a brief lull in rainfall activity, Tamil Nadu is expected to witness the return of rains from Saturday, with the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC, forecasting light to moderate showers across several parts of the state. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are also likely at isolated locations, signalling a renewed spell of unsettled weather.

In its daily bulletin, the RMC stated that light to moderate rain is likely to occur at a few places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. The department has also warned of the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning at one or two places during this period. Importantly, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Kallakurichi, and Tiruvannamalai districts, prompting residents in these regions to remain cautious.

Despite the expected rainfall, minimum temperatures across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal have shown no significant change over the past 24 hours. According to meteorological observations, night temperatures were recorded to be 2-3°C below normal at a few places over Tamil Nadu and Karaikal, while remaining near normal across the rest of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Erode recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 32.6°C. Meanwhile, Dharmapuri reported the lowest minimum temperature in the plains at 16.0°C, reflecting cool early morning conditions. In the hill areas, Kodaikanal experienced a sharp dip in temperature, recording the lowest minimum temperature of 3.9°C.

The weather agency has attributed the changing weather pattern to the persistence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep area, located at about 0.9 km above mean sea level. This system continues to influence moisture movement across southern India and is expected to aid cloud formation and rainfall activity over Tamil Nadu in the coming days.

Looking ahead, the RMC has forecast no major change, with a slight falling tendency in minimum temperatures during Day 1 (January 22) and Day 2 (January 23) over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. Night temperatures are likely to remain normal to slightly below normal during this period, especially in interior and elevated regions.

Bloggers Flag Next Rain Spell Around January 25

Adding to the official forecast, popular weather blogger R Pradeep John has indicated that the next notable spell of rainfall in Tamil Nadu is likely around January 25 and could last for one to two days. According to him, this spell may increase cloud cover across the state and temporarily raise night-time temperatures for a short duration of one to three days, following which minimum temperatures are expected to dip again.

Another weather analyst pointed out that moist easterly winds are set to return to the Tamil Nadu coast from Friday, while a strong Western Disturbance remains active over northern India. As a result, rainfall may resume over coastal Tamil Nadu from January 24, though the intensity and spread will need close monitoring due to differing projections among global weather models.

Meanwhile, the active Western Disturbance is expected to bring heavy rain and snowfall over parts of North India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and the NCR region, over the next 7 to 10 days.