Chennai, May 31: The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has predicted heavy rains in Nilgiris, Ghat areas of Coimbatore and southern districts of Tamil Nadu including Theni, Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari, and Tirunelveli.

These regions, have been witnessing heavy rainfall over the past week due to the orographic effect, which enhances precipitation.

However following a prolonged and intense wet spell that brought heavy and unprecedented rainfall across parts of Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Nilgiris and the Western Ghats, the southwest monsoon is expected to take a significant break starting June 1.

According to the RMC, this lull in monsoon activity is likely to last for at least 10 days.

The shift in weather conditions is attributed to the weakening of the weather system over the Bay of Bengal, which has significantly reduced the intensity of rainfall across the state.

With the system losing steam, meteorologists expect drier conditions to prevail over most parts of Tamil Nadu in the coming days.

In the past 24 hours, Chinnakalar in Coimbatore district recorded the highest rainfall at 13 cm, followed closely by Nalumukku and Oothu in Tirunelveli district, and Valparai in Coimbatore, each registering 12 cm of rain.

Meanwhile, in the northern parts of the state, rainfall was more subdued.

Tiruttani recorded 23 mm of rain till 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Chennai, too, experienced moderate showers with Nungambakkam receiving 25 mm and Meenambakkam 19.5 mm of rainfall.

The recent rainfall has brought much-needed respite to several parched regions, replenishing water bodies and boosting agricultural prospects.

However, authorities have advised caution in the hilly areas due to the risk of landslides and waterlogging.

With the monsoon likely to pause for over a week, weather experts urge the public to use this break to prepare for the next active phase, which is expected to resume mid-June.

Mumbai, May 27: Even before the official onset of the monsoon, Mumbai has been battered by intense rainfall, leading to widespread disruption across the city.

The heavy downpour triggered 79 incidents, including tree falls, house wall collapses, and electrical short circuits, which severely impacted traffic movement and caused major inconvenience to commuters navigating through waterlogged streets.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 25 incidents of fire caused by short circuits were reported in different parts of the city.

In 45 separate locations, trees were uprooted, blocking roads and damaging nearby vehicles and structures. Additionally, nine cases of partial building collapses or wall collapses were recorded.

One of the most serious incidents occurred near St. Xavier’s College in the Fort area of South Mumbai, where a 24-year-old man, identified as Sairaj Pawar, was injured after a tree collapsed on him.

He was immediately rushed to St. George Hospital, where doctors confirmed that his condition is now stable.

In another incident, part of a ground-plus-two-storey residential building collapsed on Cadell Road in Mahim West, trapping two residents under the debris. Fortunately, both individuals were rescued safely without any major injuries.

The BMC has issued advisories urging citizens to stay indoors during heavy rain and avoid areas prone to flooding or structural vulnerabilities.

According to the BMC’s weather forecast issued at 8.00 a.m. on Tuesday, Mumbai is expected to witness a generally cloudy sky with moderate to heavy rain across the city and suburbs, along with the possibility of thunder, lightning, and gusty winds at isolated places.

In the last 24 hours, the city recorded an average rainfall of 106 mm in the city region, 63 mm in the eastern suburbs, and 72 mm in the western suburbs.

High tides of 4.88 metres and 4.18 metres are expected at 12.13 p.m. and 11.56 p.m., respectively, while low tides are forecast at 6.13 p.m. and 6.05 a.m. the following day.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for extremely heavy rainfall in the districts of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, and Satara for the day.

An Orange Alert has been issued for Raigad, Pune, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani, indicating the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Mumbai falls under the Yellow Alert category, along with Thane, Jalgaon, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Sangli, Jalna, and other districts, which indicates the possibility of moderate to heavy rain.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, with disaster response teams on standby.

Citizens have been advised to follow weather updates and take necessary precautions as the city braces for more intense showers in the coming days.

Houston, April 21: Three people were killed as heavy storms hit the central US state of Oklahoma over the weekend, authorities said.

A 12-year-old boy and his mother died in Moore, about 10 miles (about 16 km) south of Oklahoma City, on Sunday after floodwaters washed away their vehicle, said local police.

“This was a historical weather event that impacted roads and resulted in dozens of high-water incidents across the city,” Moore police said in a statement.

Another person was killed on Saturday night after a tornado hit Spaulding, a town in Hughes County, the county wrote on Facebook, Xinhua news agency reported.

Several homes and structures were destroyed, and there were “numerous washouts” of county roads, it said.

On April 20, the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings across several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Louisiana. According to AccuWeather, regions of Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois faced a high risk of severe thunderstorms.

The Storm Prediction Centre warned that strong, damaging winds, hail, and thunderstorms were likely to persist throughout the night. Severe weather was expected to continue across parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, extending into the Ozark Mountains and the mid-Mississippi Valley.

By late evening, local news outlets in Arkansas and Montana confirmed at least two tornado touchdowns. In Illinois, the National Weather Service issued alerts for severe storms capable of producing tornadoes.

Around 9 p.m. local time, a tornado was detected east of East Moline, a city in northwestern Illinois that’s part of the Quad Cities. At the time, no injuries or damages were reported.

Looking ahead, forecasters predicted ongoing showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of a front stretching from the Great Lakes down through the Tennessee and Lower Mississippi Valleys to the Gulf Coast on Monday. While heavy rainfall could lead to flooding, the severe weather threat was expected to diminish throughout the day.