It is raining and Met reports states - more to follow !!

Rains, rains and more in Chennai – the  torrential rain that inundated Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu dumped enough rainfall in Chennai that enabled the city to cross its monthly average rainfall with aplomb. Owing to the deep depression, Chennai received a whopping 357 mm of rainfall in last four days excluding the overnight rain. The city has so far received 424 mm of rainfall and crossed its monthly average i.e. 407 mm in just 10-11 days of November reports - /www.skymetweather.com/

When heavy rain lashed the city and its suburbs for the last two days, the expectations rose high among Chennai residents.  The Q in mind was whether these downpours will  help them escape the looming water crisis. Thanks to the weather system over the Bay of Bengal, four city reservoirs in Red Hills, Cholavaram, Poondi and Chembarambakkam have registered copious inflows. The storage in the water bodies, which are primary sources of city water supply, had hit rock bottom several months ago for want of rain. On Monday, the Chembarambakkam reservoir received the highest.  inflow among the water bodies. Monsoon rains are slowly raising storage levels in the Cholavaram reservoir, which remained dry for over a year now. Officials of the Water Resources Department said that nearly 350 million cubic feet (mcft) of water was added to the reservoirs’ storage in a single day.

This is equal to a month’s requirement of water supply to the city. While inflows — which would continue for a couple of days more — have brought relief to water managers, it has filled less than 10 per cent of their reservoirs’ total capacity. In another plane, after the continuing heavy rains, many of the  interior roads in Chennai are battered and dotted with potholes. Arterial roads,  however, are in good shape.  Some corridors have become a nightmare for the users, especially those driving tw0-wheelers. Some roads apparently are not able to take the rain.  Many say the politically strong road contractors are often not held accountable for the poor quality of roads they lay. Experts also blame it on lack of scientifically designed storm water drains. In most areas, storm water drains don't work, leading to severe water logging even after moderate rain.  Another expert explained that  "When there's so much of water and heavy vehicles run over the roads the bitumen that binds everything together would just let loose”

Well, the deep depression crossed the Tamil Nadu coast on November 9; resulted in heavy to very heavy rains over many areas of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. Good rains also occurred over Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and a few areas of Karnataka. This system originated as a cyclonic circulation over the south-east Bay of Bengal and gradually intensified into a deep depression moving in a westward direction. Skymetweather.com mentions of another cyclonic circulation is forming almost over the same area;  a little south of the previous system.The present system is likely to intensify into a low-pressure area and is expected to concentrate into a depression as well. The system will result in good rains over many parts of Tamil Nadu and Coastal Andhra Pradesh from November 16.  The site further states that by  November 17, the intensity of rain will increase. After that, the rain belt will also cover areas of South Interior Karnataka, and Rayalaseema. Bangalore, for instance, will receive good rains owing to this system. The city has already received three times the monthly average rainfall.

The system may or may not intensify into a deep depression.

Will Chennai and Tamil Nadu withstand more rains ?

With regards – S. Sampathkumar