Low-pressure area waits off Chennai coast, brings overnight showers to parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh 

Tuesday’s low-pressure area over south-west Bay of Bengal was located almost straight east to Chennai 283 km away over the waters on Wednesday morning, even as pilot overnight showers lashed Nellore-Ponneri stretch over coastal Andhra Pradesh

India Meteorological Department (IMD) showers were reported from a few places over the meteorological subdivision of coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam until 5.30 pm yesterday (Tuesday) as also over the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. No single station in the meteorological subdivision of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal reported any rain during this period. 

Heavy rain outlook

Rain outlook put out by the IMD this morning said Tamil Nadu and Rayalaseema may receive Isolated heavy rain today and tomorrow (Wednesday and Thursday) with isolated very heavy rain likely today. Forecast for today said heavy to very heavy rain (≥ 12 cm) at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal; Rayalaseema; and Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam.

Coastal Andhra Pradesh may witness isolated heavy to very heavy rain on both Wednesday and Thursday and isolated heavy rain likely on Friday. Overall, light to moderate rain accompanied with isolated thunderstorms and lightning is likely at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from Wednesday to Friday; over Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam from Wednesday to Saturday; over Rayalaseema on Wednesday and Thursday; and over Odisha on Thursday and Friday. 

Fresh westerly system

A western disturbance that crossed into North-West India by Tuesday night has moved away to east-northeast while an induced circulation that preceded it and pinned down to north Rajasthan, had weakened in view of arrival of a successor disturbance.

The IMD said the fresh the westerly system may modulate weather mainly over the hills, indicating reduced intensity. Located over southern Iran on Wednesday morning, it will have minimal impact on prevailing cold wave over North-West India. 

Cold wave, dense fog

Cold wave and dense fog warnings are in place at a number of places as cooler air combines with the moisture left behind the preceding western disturbance. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are likely over parts of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab for four days from Wednesday, the IMD said. 

These conditions may spread to pockets over Punjab on Sunday and Monday and East Rajasthan from Thursday to Sunday. To further north, a cold wave have been warned of pockets over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh and West Rajasthan for six days from Wednesday; Haryana-Chandigarh for five days; East Rajasthan for six days; and over Himachal Pradesh on Sunday and Monday.