India/Sri Lanka: Heavy rain, possible flooding in India, Sri Lanka Nov. 6-8

Event

Storms moving through the Palk Strait are forecast to bring heavy rain to Sri Lanka the southern India states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu from Tuesday, November 6, through Thursday, November 8. Tuesday's storm will bring heavy rain and possible flooding to northern and eastern Sri Lanka, potentially affecting Diwali (or Deepavali) festivities. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued orange weather alerts, their second highest warning, for Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, November 7, and Thursday. Rainfall of 10-20 cm (4-8 in) is expected, resulting in possible flooding and mudslides in higher terrain portions of the affected regions.

Context

The northeast monsoon season for southern India officially began on November 1.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas are advised to monitor weather updates and anticipate flooding along with transportation disruptions. Remember that walking or driving through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of running water is enough to knock over an adult.