One of the exceptional Northeast (NE) monsoon in the recent decades that also gave copious rain in January, is officially coming to an end. The Meteorological department has announced that conditions are favourable for the monsoon to retreat from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Saturday.
Officials noted that a dry weather prevailed over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry since Wednesday. Moreover, there has been a dip in the minimum temperature over the State. The dry weather may continue till January 25 over the State, Puducherry and Karaikal.
S. Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, said as winds may change from cold northerly to easterly or southerly winds around January 24, nights may be relatively warm as IMD expects an increase in the minimum temperature The spillover of the monsoon has become common in the recent years. This NE monsoon ended like the last year’s monsoon, which withdrew late on January 19 last year. Quite similar to last year, this monsoon’s spillover brought good rain over many districts like Pudukottai and Ariyalur. This January, Tamil Nadu has so far recorded 3.2 cm of rain, 134% higher than its monthly average, till Saturday.
Mr. Balachandran said the NE monsoon spillover into the first fortnight of January the following year, has occurred during many years in the past two decades. La Nina conditions could be one of the reasons for the monsoon spillover in January, he added. La Nina (meaning little girl in Spanish), associated with cooler ocean surface temperature in the Eastern and Central Pacific Ocean, affects global weather.
