For the third consecutive day boat house in Udhagamandalam was closed due to heavy rain.
| Photo Credit:
Sathyamoorthy M
The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has forecast normal rainfall (+/- 10 per cent deviation from long term rainfall) in most of the districts in Tamil Nadu.
The university, which has come out with a district-level seasonal rainfall forecast for this year’s south-west monsoon, has predicted a near normal rainfall (-10 per cent deviation from the long-term rainfall) in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Namakkal, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts.
The June-September rainfall forecast for the 38 districts in the State was developed based on the Southern Oscillation Index and Sea Surface Temperature values of Pacific and Indian Oceans by using Australian Rainman International V.4.3. software at Agro Climate Research Centre of TNAU, Coimbatore. The probability level is 60 per cent, said a press release from the university.
While a normal rainfall (+/- 10 per cent deviation from long term rainfall) is expected in most of the districts in Tamil Nadu, a near normal rainfall (-10 per cent deviation from the long-term rainfall) is expected in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Namakkal, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts.
Among the districts of Cauvery Delta Zone — which comprises Ariyalur, Karur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagappatinam, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Tiruchirapalli — Karur and Tiruvarur are predicted to get 175 mm and 280 mm rainfall, respectively — a deviation of -12 per cent and -7 per cent.
It may, however, be challenging for water managers in most districts in the south zone including Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi as they are expected to receive only near normal rainfall with a deviation of -16 per cent, -14 per cent and -12 per cent in the south-west monsoon.
Despite Tamil Nadu being a rain shadow area to the south-west monsoon, the State receives 30-40 per cent of the total annual rainfall from this monsoon, which is crucial for western and southern districts such as Coimbatore, Erode and Tirunelveli. While Tamil Nadu’s primary rainfall season remains the north-east monsoon (October-December), this year’s strong and early south-west monsoon is expected to bring much-needed irrigation fillip to the western belt and boost early-season farming.
On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department forecast above-normal rainfall for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the south-west monson. The region’s normal rainfall during the period is 329 mm.
Published on May 27, 2025