The weather department has issued a yellow alert for 19 districts in Tamil Nadu

The Regional Meteorological Center (RMC) has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for 19 districts of Tamil Nadu and forecast heavy rainfall in the next two days. According to a statement from the Weather Department, these districts are expected to receive significant rainfall due to cyclone system and higher air circulation over the sea.

The affected districts include Coimbatore, Tiruppur, The Nilgiris, Madurai, Erode, Virudhunagar, Theni, Dindigul, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Ramanathapuram, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Thoothukudi and Sivaganga.

The RMC stated that the cyclonic circulation over the Gulf of Mannar has weakened, while upper air circulation continues to persist over the southwestern Bay of Bengal, off the southern Andhra coast.

Longer-term forecasts indicate that coastal areas of Tamil Nadu may receive below-normal rainfall, but above-average rainfall is expected in other parts of the state through November 7.

Near-normal to slightly above-normal rainfall is forecast in many areas of Tamil Nadu from November 8 to 14.

Fishermen have been advised not to enter the sea for the next 48 hours due to expected wind speeds of 35 to 45 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 55 kilometers per hour along the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, the Gulf of Mannar and around the Cameron region. The northeast monsoon brings heavy rainfall. The northeast monsoon, which started on October 17, has already brought significant rainfall to Tamil Nadu.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast normal to above-normal rainfall for northern Tamil Nadu and normal rainfall for southern parts of the state, although many southern districts have already experienced significant rainfall.

For the October-December season, the IMD expects the southern peninsula – including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh – to receive 112 per cent of the long-term average rainfall of 33.4 cm. Tamil Nadu typically receives an average of 44 cm during the northeast monsoon period.

The Tamil Nadu Health Ministry has urged the public to be cautious regarding the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue, malaria, leptospirosis and influenza. Since January 2024, Tamil Nadu has recorded 18,000 cases of dengue.

The state Department of Public Health has advised residents to remove standing water from their buildings to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

The Health Ministry has already set up monsoon health camps across the state to identify cases of dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, influenza and other diseases.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian emphasized that the department is closely monitoring vector-borne diseases, especially dengue, which is prevalent in 10 districts: Chennai, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur, Theni, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur and Tiruchi.

These districts account for 57 percent of the total dengue cases in Tamil Nadu. Dr. TS Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, informed that the health department is monitoring fever-related cases in both government and private hospitals.

The public has been advised to avoid storing rainwater in discarded objects, which can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and to drink only boiled water to prevent water-borne diseases.