Tamil Nadu will install 1,000 new automatic rain gauges this financial year, Commissioner B. Chandra Mohan announced at the Northeast Monsoon Seasonal Outlook Forum on October 1.

The forum, jointly organised by the IMD and the Tamil Nadu Disaster Risk Reduction Agency, reviewed preparations for the coming northeast monsoon.

The state currently operates 1,400 automatic rain gauges and 100 automatic weather stations. The long-term goal is to have one rain gauge in every village panchayat.

The IMD is also adding four new radars in Tamil Nadu — at Tiruchi, Kanniyakumari, Yercaud and Ramanathapuram — to improve weather tracking.

Officials said the El Nino weather pattern is expected to persist until March 2027, which could influence rainfall distribution across the state.

Better rainfall data means better decisions. Dense gauge networks help authorities issue localised flood warnings and manage reservoir releases during heavy rain.

The northeast monsoon, which runs from October to December, is Tamil Nadu's main rainy season. It accounts for nearly half the state's annual rainfall.

Disaster management officials said the expanded network will be integrated with early-warning systems before the monsoon's peak.