CHENNAI: After sweltering through another hot July day, parts of Chennai received sharp evening thundershowers on Thursday, bringing brief relief from the heat.
Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) recorded 18.5 mm of rainfall at Nungambakkam, while the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University station at Madhavaram logged 20 mm.
Localised showers were heavier in the city’s suburbs, with Villivakkam receiving 28 mm, Sathyabama University 25 mm, Poonamallee 22.5 mm and Chembarambakkam 21 mm.
The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast light rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over parts of the city on Friday and Saturday.
Maximum temperatures are expected to hover between 38°C and 39°C, while minimum temperatures will remain around 29°C-30°C. The weather department said isolated light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms is likely over many parts of Tamil Nadu, while the Western Ghats are expected to receive more significant rainfall.
The rainfall on Thursday was triggered by low-level wind convergence over north coastal Tamil Nadu, with moist southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal meeting southwesterly winds from inland Tamil Nadu, meteorologists said. This, combined with intense daytime heating, spurred upward motion that led to rapid development of cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms.
Wind data from Chennai Airport showed a sudden shift around 6 pm, from a steady onshore flow of 24-28 kmph to a gust front moving in at 18 kmph with gusts up to 37 kmph, accompanied by a sharp temperature drop from 38°C to 27°C.
While there were no major traffic snarls, vehicular movement slowed in several areas, including Koyambedu, Ambattur, Anna Salai and Guindy.
The showers came after Chennai experienced another hot day. By 5.30 pm, Chennai Airport had recorded a maximum temperature of 38.5°C, while Nungambakkam registered 37.8°C. Madurai Airport remained the hottest station in the state at 41.4°C.
Among the hill stations, Coonoor recorded the highest rainfall of 61 mm during the day, while Valparai received 15 mm and Kodaikanal 5 mm.