Unseasonal February rainfall likely over some parts of south Tamil Nadu this week

A trough implicit the equatorial Indian Ocean and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal is apt to power a bedewed spell successful parts of Tamil Nadu till February 26. In back-to-back upwind developments this month, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast prospects of isolated dense rainfall successful confederate districts implicit the weekend. The RMC has forecast immoderate parts of Chennai whitethorn besides person airy oregon mean rainfall connected Saturday (February 21, 2026).

While confederate districts are expected to get rainfall astatine galore places connected February 21 and 22, determination is simply a anticipation of airy to mean rainfall successful a fewer places implicit northbound Tamil Nadu. Thunderstorms whitethorn hap successful immoderate parts with gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph implicit the State. RMC officials said the prevailing foggy upwind could easiness implicit the adjacent fewer days. The trough extends up to the Lakshadweep country crossed southbound Tamil Nadu and southbound Kerala and is apt to bring scattered rainfall to Tamil Nadu.

While six districts, including Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari, person chances of isolated dense rainfall connected Saturday, parts of Dindigul, Madurai, and Theni districts whitethorn beryllium covered by aggravated rainfall connected Sunday.

V.R. Durai, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, RMC, said the upwind strategy implicit the equatorial Indian Ocean and the southwest Bay of Bengal would trigger unseasonal rainfall implicit southbound Tamil Nadu. The strategy is transporting moisture inland and is apt to bring a bedewed spell. Moreover, warmer than mean oversea aboveground temperatures implicit the equatorial Indian Ocean person enhanced moisture proviso and atmospheric instability, resulting successful rainfall that is antithetic for February, which is typically a adust period successful the region, helium said.

While the erstwhile upwind system, which prevailed implicit the oversea and did not bring important rainfall to the State, is expected to determination towards Sri Lanka by Saturday, the RMC is besides monitoring a caller low-pressure country processing implicit the equatorial Indian Ocean and the southeast Bay of Bengal.

B. Amudha, Head, RMC, said specified enactment of upwind systems implicit the Bay of Bengal is not predominant based connected years of monitoring. With the earlier upwind strategy weakening, a cyclonic circulation is being watched for its imaginable to make into a low-pressure country and its interaction implicit Tamil Nadu. More clarity connected its interaction is expected successful 2 days, depending connected its movement.

The State remained mostly adust connected Friday with nary of the upwind stations signaling rainfall till 6 p.m. Tamil Nadu has received a surplus rainfall of 33.8 mm against its seasonal mean of 21.5 mm since January 1. The RMC has forecast immoderate parts of Chennai whitethorn besides person airy to mean rainfall connected Saturday.