CHENNAI: Denizens experienced a sweltering Sunday, with temperatures soaring to 105.98°F (41.1°C) at Meenambakkam — a sharp contrast to the cloudy conditions seen on Saturday. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Monday may bring some relief with light rain, along with thunderstorms and lightning, in the evening and night hours over the city.
The RMC data shows that 13 weather stations recorded temperatures above 100°F (37.8°C). The highest in the state was in Vellore at 106.88°F (41.6°C), followed by Meenambakkam (41.1°C), Tiruttani at 105.08°F (40.6°C), Madurai at 102.2°F (39°C), and both Nungambakkam and Nagapattinam at 101.84°F (38.8°C).
On Monday, Chennai’s maximum temperature may reach 38°C, while the minimum can dip to 28°C. The RMC forecasts that until May 28, maximum temperatures in isolated parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal may be 2°C below normal. Over the next two days, light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely in isolated areas across these regions.
The weather department also warned of heavy rain in some locations, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 40-50 km/h. Districts likely to be affected include The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Theni, and Madurai.
On May 26, heavy rain is expected in isolated places over the ghat areas of Coimbatore, Tirupur, The Nilgiris, Theni, Dindigul, and Kanniyakumari districts.