August 18, 2025

Hold your umbrellas, Chennai! The city got a splash of rain recently, with the IMD-Tamil Nadu serving a spicy alert for moderate rainfall and thunderstorms. The weather team warned that some spots in Chennai might turn into little water ponds, leading to traffic jams that test your patience. Since June, the rains have been playing a tricky game. Chennai’s total rainfall is about 8% below the usual mark. At the Meenambakkam observatory, covering the southern suburbs, the deficit is even bigger – 15 cm less rain than normal! But not all parts are the same; Nungambakkam saw around 3 cm extra, while Meenambakkam remains very dry. What’s cooking in the sky? Though the northeast monsoon is still two months away, the weather experts say the suburbs might get some short, isolated showers over the next two to three days. After that, they expect a dry spell to return. Light and moderate rains will dance across Tamil Nadu until August 21. Mahesh Palawat, the chief meteorologist at Skymet Weather, told TOI, “A low pressure near the south Odisha–north Andhra Pradesh coast is expected to move inland, bringing rain to central India. This may reduce rain intensity over southern states.” But some naughty clouds hanging around the edges might sneak over south Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu, gifting brief showers to Chennai and nearby areas. This rainy fun could last for a few days. After these showers, dry days will come knocking. “Temperatures may marginally rise as back-to-back systems over northwest Bay of Bengal will draw away moisture,” Palawat added. Looking at the numbers since June 1, Chennai received about 22 cm of rain, still 8% below normal. Tamil Nadu, however, did better with about 18 cm rainfall, which is roughly 15% above its usual figure. So, the rains are playing favorites! For now, Chennai residents should be ready for quick bursts of rain and some traffic troubles, but keep your hopes high—the much-awaited northeast monsoon is still on its way to douse the city with its full glory soon!

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Tags: Chennai rainfall, Imd alert, Tamil nadu weather, Northeast monsoon, Waterlogging, Monsoon deficit,