Chennai: With Meenambakkam touching 36.1C on Saturday after a brief lull, warm breezes and rising humidity signalled the return of hot afternoons. And this could just be the beginning.
A partly cloudy sky may push temperatures to a maximum of 35-36C and a minimum of 25-26C,” an IMD bulletin said. “Between April 5 and 8, suburbs could breach 40C, with the core city inching closer. As of now, April 6 looks particularly hot,” he said.
Meteorologists said the temperature rise is due to increasing daytime heating as the sun moves nearly overhead. With little cloud cover or rain during this pre-monsoon period, temperatures rise quickly and feel more oppressive due to humidity. “There may be rainfall over districts closer to the Western Ghats and southern Tamil Nadu from April 1 or 2, with intensity increasing in the following days due to a trough extending from central India to the Comorin region.
Blogger Pradeep John said the weather could worsen in the coming days. “Chennai may not see rain, but temperatures may remain around 32–33C,” said Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist, Skymet Weather. At the same time, hot, dry inland winds dominate the mornings, while the cooling sea breeze from the Bay of Bengal arrives only later in the afternoon. However, temperatures may fluctuate between 33C and 35C in the interim, as rainfall over interior areas could offer some relief.
“On Sunday, the city and the suburbs may experience dry weather.