Tamil Nadu weather: Alert issued for heavy rains, thunderstorm; Check IMD forecast for Chennai, other areas

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has issued a heavy rain alert for several districts across Tamil Nadu till May 18 due to an upper air cyclonic circulation prevailing in the region, an official said on Thursday.

"Conditions are favorable for further advance of southwest Monsoon over some more parts of south Arabian Sea, Maldives & Comorin area; South Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of Andaman Islands and Andaman Sea; and some parts of central Bay of Bengal during next 3-4 days," said the weather agency in its daily bulletin.

Fifteen districts, including Erode, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Salem, and Thanjavur are likely to witness heavy downpours over the next few days.


Chennai and its neighbouring areas are expected to experience light rain with partly cloudy skies.

The RMC has further forecast that from May 15 to May 21, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds is expected in isolated places across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal regions.

Here's IMD forecast for Chennai:

Date	Min Temp (°C)	Max Temp (°C)	Weather
16-May	28.0	38.0	Generally cloudy sky with light rain
17-May	29.0	37.0	Generally cloudy sky with light rain
18-May	29.0	36.0	Partly cloudy sky with possibility of moderate rain or thunderstorm
19-May	29.0	36.0	Generally cloudy sky with light rain
20-May	28.0	35.0	Rain
21-May	28.0	35.0	Partly cloudy sky

Thunderstorm and Heavy Rainfall Warnings for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal from May 15 to May 19, 2025:

Thunderstorm & Lightning Warning

Date	Warning
May 15 – May 19	Thunderstorm & lightning with gusty winds (40–50 kmph) at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal

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Heavy Rainfall Warning

Date	Districts Likely to Receive Heavy Rainfall
May 15	Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur
May 16	Erode, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Tirupattur, Vellore
May 17	Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Kallakurichi, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Karaikal
May 18	Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Karaikal