Chennai

The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to weaken into a depression and cross the north Sri Lanka coast later on Saturday, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said.

The weather system is likely to bring heavy rainfall at isolated locations across several districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram.

In its latest bulletin, the RMC said the system was positioned around 100 km northeast of Batticaloa, about 100 km east of Trincomalee, 180 km northeast of Pottuvil in Sri Lanka, 370 km southeast of Karaikal and nearly 550 km south-southeast of Chennai.

“It is likely to move northwestwards and weaken into a depression within the next six hours. Thereafter, it is expected to travel west-northwestwards and cross the north Sri Lanka coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna,” the bulletin said.

Sea conditions are expected to remain very rough over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining parts of the Indian Ocean on Saturday, with gradual improvement thereafter.

The Met department has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea. Those currently at deep sea have been asked to avoid the southeast and southwest Bay of Bengal, the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast, the Gulf of Mannar and the Comorin region.

During the past 24 hours, Tiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district, Ayinkudi in Pudukottai and Grand Anicut in Thanjavur recorded one centimetre of rainfall each.

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For Chennai and surrounding areas, the weather office forecast cloudy skies with light rain likely in some parts of the city.