Monday, November 21 2005 12:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tamil Nadu: After two weeks of respite, rains lashed various arts of Tamil Nadu, including the metropolis, since the wee hours of today with the depression over the Bay of Bengal moving closer to the state's coast.

Weather Office here said the depression which was located at 650 kms east southeast of Pamban in Ramanathapuram district yesterday lay 550 kms as of 5 am today and was likely to move slowly further in a west north westerly direction.

Under its influence, rain or thundershowers were likely to occur at most places over south Tamil Nadu and at many places over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, during the next 24 hours beginning at 8.30 AM today.

Isolated heavy rains were also likely over Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Tiruchirappalli and Puducottai districts and Karaikal area of Pondicherry during the same period, the weather office said.

Squally weather with wind speed reaching 55 to 65 kms per hour was likely over these places during the same period, it said, adding strong wind speed occasionally reaching 45 to 55 kmph were likely along the remaining coastal districts.

The weather office warned fishermen not to venture into the sea off Tamil Nadu-Pondicherry coast as the "conditions would be rough to very rough."

The metropolis which had just come back to normalcy after the heavy bouts of rains late last month and early this month since the onset of north east monsoon was once again being battered by rains since wee hours of this morning inundating low-lying areas.