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Cloudburst in Chennai? Weather Forecaster Srikant Clarifies
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News18•18-10-2026, 13:45
Cloudburst in Chennai? Weather Forecaster Srikant Clarifies
- •Heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning lashed Chennai continuously from yesterday evening till dawn, causing severe waterlogging.
- •Parry's Corner recorded the maximum rainfall of 36 centimeters, while Kathivakkam and Sathangadu also witnessed heavy downpours.
- •Over 30 locations in Chennai, including Royapuram, Tondiarpet, and Egmore, recorded very heavy rainfall exceeding 10 centimeters.
- •Weather forecaster Srikant explained that while a cloudburst is defined as 10 cm of rain within an hour, this downpour lasted for 3 to 5 hours.
- •The torrential rainfall was attributed to wind convergence caused by an upper-air circulation near Chennai.
Key Questions Answered
Weather forecaster Srikant explained that an upper-air circulation near Chennai caused a convergence of winds, driving cloud clusters toward the convergence zone and resulting in heavy downpours.
The India Meteorological Department defines a cloudburst as rainfall exceeding 10 centimeters within an hour, whereas Chennai's heavy downpour lasted for three to five hours.
While the Northeast Monsoon failed during strong El Niño years like 1982, historical data from years like 1997, 2015, and 2023 indicates that this year's monsoon is likely to be normal or above normal.
