Chennai

Dr S Balachandran, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre, said, “On April 22, for the first time, the temperature touched 40°C in Chennai. But in interior Tamil Nadu, it has already crossed this mark. There will be an increase of 2°C in the maximum temperature because of the dry westerly winds flowing through the northern part of Tamil Nadu.”

Pradeep John, whose blog Tamil Nadu Weatherman is quite popular, said, “The temperature recorded in Meenambakkam – 41.8°C is the highest recorded for the month of April since 2006. The city survived so far due to the easterlies. But now, the winds are blowing parallel off the coast. The dry westerly winds from the land managed to reach the city resulting in a sudden spike in temperature. The city got some respite with the sea breeze at around 1.30 pm while inland Chennai sizzled till 3.00 pm before the sea breeze brought the temperature down.”

K Srikanth, who runs the weather portal, Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikkalam (COMK), pointed out that there is a possibility of a delay in summer showers. “The models predict  a cyclone forming in the Arabian sea during mid-May – which means we are in for hotter days ahead. There have also been some disturbances in the Bay of Bengal but even if the cyclone forms, it will move towards Myanmar, which won’t really help Tamil Nadu. However, a month is a long time and things may change during this period,” he explained.

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