Chennai, November 16 (IANS). The Regional Meteorological Center (RMC) has warned 18 districts of Tamil Nadu of heavy rain for Saturday (November 16) and Sunday (November 17). Yellow alert has been issued regarding this.
According to an RMC statement, heavy rain is expected in Kanyakumari Thoothukudi Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts over the weekend.
Heavy rain is due to cyclonic circulation over South Tamil Nadu and its adjoining areas.
Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is expected in the rest of the state in the coming days.
The sky is likely to be partly cloudy in Chennai, with moderate rain expected in some areas during evening and night.
The RMC has also predicted heavy rain in northern coastal districts including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram from November 22.
A warning of above normal rainfall has been issued in these districts from November 22 to 28, while there is a possibility of below normal rainfall in the rest of the state during the same period.
Tamil Nadu has received 276 mm of rainfall so far during the northeast monsoon between October 1 and November 15. Coimbatore recorded the highest rainfall of 418 mm, which is 67 percent more than the normal level.
There was excess rainfall in 17 districts including Chennai.
There has also been a significant decline in electricity consumption in many districts since the onset of monsoon.
Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) said daily power consumption in the state dropped to 302 million units from 380 million units on October 1 due to reduced rainfall.
Electricity consumption exceeded 400 million units per day in September.
TANGEDCO officials said heavy rains have reduced the need for air conditioning, leading to a significant decline in power consumption in both residential and agricultural sectors.
Meanwhile, the state health department has expressed concern over the increasing cases of viral diseases. A rise in fever, influenza and other viral diseases has been reported in Chennai and adjacent districts like Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur.
Besides this, cases of malaria and leptospirosis have been reported from different parts of the state. The Public Health Department of Tamil Nadu has urged people to take extra precautions, especially children.
The department has advised people to keep an eye on symptoms like high fever, chills, cough, sore throat, body ache and headache and consult a doctor if these symptoms appear.
Dr Rajani, an entomologist at a private hospital in Chennai, said that since the onset of the northeast monsoon, an increase in fever, headache and throat infection has been seen in children and the elderly.
“Dry cough in children often lasts for more than two weeks, which is a clear sign of infectious diseases,” Rajni said.
He said that even after the fever subsides, throat infection can persist for a few days. He advised individuals with respiratory, kidney or liver disease to take extra precautions during this season as the risk of infectious diseases is higher.
-IANS
MKS/KR
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