From 39°C ‘feels like’ temperature to 24°C: Rains cool Chennai for few hours

CHENNAI: After enduring a harrowing start to the summer, Chennai spent a day of relief on Monday (April 6) after sudden, sharp showers brought down the temperature around noon.

The day started as usual, with the mercury hovering around 30 degrees Celsius even during the early morning hours. It then climbed to over 32 degrees Celsius. At one point, around 11 am, the 'feels like' temperature was inching close to 39 degrees Celsius. And then came the rain.

According to data collected by popular weather blogger K Srikanth, who runs the social media handle Chennai Rains, the temperature dropped to a little above 24 degrees Celsius around 12 noon. The 'feels like' temperature, too, went down to the same level, bringing much-needed relief to the city that was struggling with the heat that was steadily climbing in the last few days.

The sudden spell of rain, the first of the summer showers, poured over several parts of Chennai and its suburbs on late Monday morning to early noon, bringing brief but intense showers, thunder, and dark, overcast skies. According to rainfall data shared by Pradeep John aka Tamil Nadu Weatherman (his social media handle), KK Nagar recorded the highest rainfall at 58 mm, followed by West Mambalam (50 mm), Guindy (Sipcot) (51 mm), and Nandanam IMD (46 mm).