Southwest monsoon: Low pressure area forms over Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast

Representational image. File
| Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai, on Tuesday (May 27, 2025), said that a low pressure area has formed over northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast at 8.30 a.m.

The system is likely to move slowly northwards and become more marked during the next 48 hours. The associated cyclonic circulation extends upto 7.6 km above mean sea level tilting southwards with height.

Also Read: Southwest monsoon rains key updates on May 27, 2025

With the early onset of southwest monsoon, one or two places over the Western Ghat areas in Tamil Nadu experienced isolated heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain from May 24 to 8.30 a.m. on May 27.

Highest rainfall

Avalanche in the Nilgiris reported extremely heavy rainfall consecutively for three days — 21 cm, 35 cm and 26 cm respectively on May 25, 26 and 27. Upper Bhavani (Nilgiris) recorded 30 cm and Chinnakalar (Ghat areas of Coimbatore district) recorded 21 cm on May 26.

So far, Avalanche has received 94 cm of rain from May 24 to 27. Upper Bhavani and Chinnakalar have recorded 53 cm and 56 cm respectively. Emerald, Pandalur, Upper Gudalur and Gudalur bazar in Nilgiris district and Siruvani dam, Cincona and Valparai in Coimbatore district have recorded 30 to 50 cm of rain during the same period.

Forecast

On Wednesday (May 28), light to moderate rain is expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal at isolated places and accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning at one or two places. Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Western Ghats areas of Coimbatore and the Nilgiris districts.

Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over the Western Ghats areas of Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari districts.

On Thursday (May 29), heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over the Western Ghats areas of Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, the Nilgiris, Tenkasi and Theni districts. Heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Tiruppur, Dindigul and Kanniyakumari districts.