Overview
- IMD reports a confirmed deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean, centered near 5.5°N, 84.8°E at 0830 IST Thursday and moving west-northwest at about 13 kmph.
- The system is likely to cross Sri Lanka’s east coast between Hambantota and Kalmunai on Friday evening or night before influencing weather over nearby regions.
- RMC Chennai has issued orange and yellow alerts, with heavy to very heavy rain forecast for Jan 9–10 in delta and south-coastal districts, including Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, and isolated totals up to about 20 cm.
- Squally conditions are expected along the Tamil Nadu coast and over the Gulf of Mannar and Comorin region, and fishermen have been advised to avoid these waters for the next two days.
- Such January systems are uncommon, with roughly 20 recorded since 1891, and forecasters note that rainfall over Chennai will depend on the system’s exact track and intensity.