CHENNAI: It was relatively a pleasant day on Friday although the mercury breached the 40 degree C mark again. The early onset of sea breeze at 11.30 am has kept the mercury under check, although there was a brief period post noon when the temperature shot up to 40.1 degree C before falling.
K Balachandran, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said there would be heat wave-like conditions on Saturday as well. The Chennai airport (Meenambakkam) continued to sizzle at 42.1 degree C, while the known suspect Thiruttani again proved a scorcher at 44.5 degree C.
Several districts got widespread rains, including Erode, Krishnagiri, Karur, Namakkal, Virudhunagar, Vellore and Kanyakumari. The official statistics state that the chief amounts of rainfall till 8.30 am on Friday: Thuckalay (Kanyakumari dt), Thalavadi (Erode dt), Pochampalli (Krishnagiri dt), Thuvakudi (Trichy dt) got 6 cm of rain each, while Denkanikottai, Penucondapuram and Shoolagiri (Krishnagiri dt) got 5 cm rain each.
The Met officials said the interior areas would continue to get convective rainfall.