Erstwhile cyclone Fengal weakens as well-marked ‘low’, but continues to pour it down over interior Tamil Nadu
Erstwhile rain-spewing cyclone Fengal has weakened three times over to a well-marked low-pressure area but was spotted hovering over north interior Tamil Nadu after making a calamitous landfall near Puducherry.
Weakening has not made much impact on its rain-making capacity as it poured down extremely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and very hover over Kerala & Mahe during the 24 hours ending 8.30 am this (Monday) morning.
Raining in the hills
India Meteorological Department (IMD) gave out significant rainfall amounts (in cm) recorded during this period over Tamil Nadu as Yercaud (24); Dharmapuri (16); Salem (6); and in Kerala & Mahe at Kottayam (18); Cochin (CIAL) airport-15; and Kozhikode-7.
This followed record-breaking spells triggered by it while being a cyclone and its gradual weakening to a deep depression and depression through Sunday before being categorised as a well-marked ‘low’ today. These included an outrageous 50 cm-plus spell over Puducherry creating a 30-year record for a 24-hour-spell and a number of other 40-50 cm spells in the neighbourhood.
Propelling into interior TN
Meanwhile, satellite pictures at 10.30 am this morning indicated moderate to heavy rain is being recorded over the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border over an area bounded by Kanakapura, Gobichettipalayam, Mettur, Pennagaram and Denkanikottai.
Another flare-up was visible over central and adjoining north Kerala from Kalamassery, Kuttampuzha, Valpari and Pollachi (Tamil Nadu); Kollengode, Palakkad, Ottapalam, Malappuram, Kavanoor, Vazhikadavu, Koyilandi and Kozhikode.
Arabian Sea-bound
A remnant low-pressure area is now expected to cross into south interior Karnataka and north Kerala before emerging over south-east and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea off the north Kerala-Karnataka coasts by tomorrow (Tuesday), likely precipitating moderate to heavy to very heavy rain, the IMD said this (Monday) morning.
Arainfall warning issued by assessed rainfall probabilities for various geographical regions in the South Peninsula as follows:
North Interior Tamil Nadu, South Interior Karnataka and Rayalaseema:Light to moderate rain at many places with isolated heavy rainfallover north interior Tamil Nadu; south interior Karnataka; and adjoining Rayalaseema today (Monday).
Coastal Karnataka: Light to moderate rain with heavy rainat isolated places both today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday).
Kerala:Light to moderate rain activity at most places with heavy to very heavy rainat a few places and extremely heavy rain at isolated places today and heavy rainat isolated places tomorrow.