CHENNAI: Just as when Kathiri Veyil or Agni Nakshatram — a period of very hot days, rather dog days — comes to an end on Saturday, the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, has forecast a high possibility of rainfall for the city and a few interior districts of the State spread over the next couple of days.
Although temperatures are likely to hover around 38 degrees Celsius, weathermen say there is likelihood of convective rainfall, a common phenomenon during summer, when warm air rises up due to searing heat. As the air rises, it cools and water vapour condenses to form rain clouds.
Speaking to Express, S Balachandran, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said, “There are chances of Kodai Mazhai, or the seasonal summer rainfall, happening as the formation of thunder clouds is high.”
Meanwhile with Kathiri Veyil (May 4-28) drawing to conclusion, Balachandran observed it was a little unusual this year, as the intervening period saw a weather system moderating temperatures for a week.
“On May 17/18, Chennai received more than 25 mm of rainfall during a 24-hour period, when it was normally supposed to receive just 2.5 mm,” he said. More significantly, the MET Department recorded a temperature deviation of -10 degree Celsius from normal.
He added that in comparison to April when a heat wave warning was most notably declared, the month of May did not see that much heat.
“While more than 60 per cent of days last month saw temperatures going 2-5 degrees above normal, this month until now hasn’t seen such variation,” Balachandran said. With the heavens set to open up in a wet send off to the Kathiri season, remember to pull out the umbrella whenever going out over this weekend.