Overview
- At 0830 IST Thursday, the IMD placed the center near 5.5°N, 84.8°E, about 810 km southeast of Karaikal and 980 km south-southeast of Chennai, moving west-northwest around 13 km/h.
- The system is forecast to cross Sri Lanka’s east coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai on Friday evening or night, according to the IMD.
- RMC Chennai issued orange and yellow alerts signaling isolated heavy to very heavy rain, with localized totals up to roughly 20 cm in districts including Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore and nearby areas on Jan. 9–10.
- Fishermen have been warned to avoid the sea as squally conditions are expected along the Tamil Nadu coast, the Gulf of Mannar and the adjoining Comorin region, including waters off Puducherry and Karaikal.
- Meteorologists note January systems of this kind are uncommon, with about 20 Bay disturbances recorded since 1891, and ground frost is also forecast over higher ranges of the Nilgiris and Kodaikanal on Friday.