Chilly start for weekend as showers greet Chennai

Chennai, Mar 17 : After nearly three months of dry weather and the constant increase in mercury levels during the last few days, Chennaiites had a chilly start to the weekend on Saturday morning.

After being at the mercy of sultry weather over the last few days, people woke up to cloudy skies as several parts of city and the suburbs witnessed drizzles since last night.

The light rain, accompanied by cool breeze provided the much needed relief to the people.

Met department said the drizzles were due to the low pressure area over Arabian sea and that the rains were expected to continue till Monday.

An official from the Meteorological department said Friday's well marked low pressure area over Lakshadweep area and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea off Kerala-Karnataka coast weakened into a low pressure and now lay centred over Lakshadweep area and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea.

Its associated upper air cyclonic circulation now extends up to 1.5 km. Due to this, light to moderate rain was likely to occur at a few places over interior Tamil Nadu and at one or two places over Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the next 24 hours.

As far as Chennai was concerned, sky was expected to remain cloudy with some showers during evenings and night.

Speaking to the reporters, Regional Meteorological Department Director S Balachandran, said 'in addition to the low pressure area over Arabian sea, an easterly and westerly wind convergence zone lies over interior parts of Tamil Nadu.''

In the next 24 hours, rainfall was likely to occur at more places over north Tamil Nadu and a few places over south Tamil Nadu, he said.