CHENNAI: Chennai recorded one of its hottest day of the year on Tuesday with temperatures hovering close to 40 degrees Celsius. Nungambakkam recorded a maximum temperature of 39.1°C, while Meenambakkam or Chennai Airport touched 39.6°C, making it the hottest day for the city this summer.
Weather observers said the small difference in temperature between the two Chennai observatories points to a delayed sea breeze. Normally, Nungambakkam cools earlier due to sea breeze influence from the Bay of Bengal, keeping temperatures lower than Meenambakkam.
However, on Tuesday, the difference between the two stations was only 0.5°C, showing that the sea breeze arrived much later than usual. This allowed daytime heating to continue for a longer period across the city.
Elsewhere in the state, Tiruttani recorded 40°C, while several interior districts saw temperatures above normal.
At the same time, many parts of south Tamil Nadu and the Western Ghats received rainfall due to pre-monsoon activity. Neyyoor AWS in Kanniyakumari district recorded the highest rainfall of 16 cm, followed by Nalumukku in Tirunelveli district with 10 cm.
Other places including Oothu, Kakkachi, Mambazhathuraiyaru, Anaikedanku, Colachel and Kallukootam received 9 cm each. Several areas in Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Karur, Tiruvallur and the Nilgiris also recorded moderate rainfall.
The Met office has forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms over parts of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Karaikal for the next few days. Heavy rain is likely at isolated places in the ghat areas of Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, Nilgiris, Theni, Dindigul, Erode and nearby districts till May 21.
For Chennai, the met office has forecast partly cloudy skies with chances of light to moderate rain and thunderstorms. Maximum temperatures are likely to remain around 38-39°C.