Chennai

Barely ten days after the impact of Cyclone Fengal, which claimed 19 lives across Sri Lanka and Southern India, another weather system is brewing in the Bay of Bengal, off India's southeast coast.

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The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has characterised the system as a low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining east Equatorial Indian Ocean. 

In meteorology, a low-pressure area is a region that has lower atmospheric pressure compared to its surrounding regions. It is associated with overcast weather, rainfall activity, rough sea conditions, and gusty winds. 

The low-pressure area and its associated cyclonic circulation, extending up to 5.8 km above mean sea level, are likely to move west-northwestwards and become more marked by Tuesday, 10th December, said the IMD.

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It is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards thereafter and reach over the southwest Bay of Bengal off Sri-Lanka–Tamil Nadu coasts around Wednesday, 11th December, according to the forecast. 

Owing to the evolving weather system, for this entire week, a rainfall warning has been issued for multiple districts in Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. From Tuesday onwards, heavy rainfall activity is likely to commence over several coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, and it is likely to intensify into very heavy rainfall as the week progresses. 

Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts of Tamilnadu and Karaikal area. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Pudukkottai, Tiruchirappalli, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Tiruvallur districts of Tamilnadu and Puducherry, says the IMD forecast for Wednesday, 11th December.

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Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Salem, Namakkal, Dindigul, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Villuppuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Chennai and Tiruvallur districts of Tamilnadu and Puducherry and Karaikal area, reads the forecast for Thursday, 12th December. 

Owing to the impact of the weather system at sea, fishermen have been advised not to plan for deep-sea fishing. Through this week, winds gusting up to 55 kmph are likely to prevail along the Tamil Nadu coast, and hence the IMD has warned fishermen, advising them against venturing out into regions adjoining the Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka coasts.